Last Updated: March 2024
You might think that how to pay in China would be obvious, but it’s not that simple. As a seasoned traveller, you might be used to paying with cash or travel cards such as Revolut, Monzo or Starling. But you’ll have to use a different approach for China…
China operates a virtually cashless system using QR code mobile payments. Mobile payments in China use either WeChat Pay or Alipay. This is a similar concept to ApplePay, although you won’t find ApplePay in China.
Although technically cash is supposed to be accepted everywhere, it’s always not the case in practice. This is a complete overhaul of how China was maybe a decade ago, when cash was king. Now, even a small street stall uses QR code payment.
Paying with cash, although possible, will mark you out as a tourist, and you might end up paying higher prices. (Ok, if you’re not ethnically Chinese you‘ll always stick out, but the goal is to act like an expat living there). Read on to learn more about WeChat Pay, Alipay, and how to pay like a local in China.
What is WeChat Pay / Alipay?
WeChat Pay and Alipay are digital payment methods, which are comparable to Apple Pay or Google Pay. WeChat Pay is the more popular method, but both WeChat Pay and Alipay are widely used and accepted in China. Both work via scanning a QR code through a smartphone app. Note that QR code payment requires internet access, i.e. a Chinese SIM card.
Both apps have a ‘wallet’ function where you can store cash in the app for payment, but you can also pay via a linked bank card.
WeChat Pay is run by Tencent, who also own WeChat, the main Chinese messaging app (similar to WhatsApp). WeChat Pay runs within WeChat, the main messaging app used in mainland China. Alipay is run by Alibaba. You might have heard of the cheap online retailer AliExpress – it’s also owned by Alibaba.
Vendors will have their QR codes displayed at the counter to scan for payment: green for WeChat Pay and blue for Alipay. Usually you scan the QR code in your app and input the specified amount. The vendor will get a notification of the payment, and may ask you to show the payment on your phone screen as proof. In a more formal setting, such as larger chain stores or restaurants, they often scan your barcode to take payment instead.
Should I Choose WeChat Pay or Alipay as a Tourist?
WeChat Pay is more widely accepted than Alipay, but both are generally accepted everywhere. One notable exception is on public buses, including in Beijing, which accept WeChat Pay and cash, but not Alipay.
Previously, it was difficult for tourists to access mobile payment, as it required a Chinese bank account. Luckily for you, as of July 2023, Alipay now allows you to pay with international bank cards!
During my China trip in August 2023, I tested out Alipay in a variety of situations. I used both my Starling bank card (MasterCard) and Halifax Clarity credit card (MasterCard). I am happy to report that it works and I was able pay like a local in China. Success!
Update: Since December 2023, WeChat Pay now also allows payment with a linked foreign bank card! I was able to use WeChat Pay for shops, restaurants and street stalls. WeChat Pay also allowed me to book and pay for entrance tickets online. This is a game-changer, as many popular attractions such as the Forbidden City only allow online booking through their WeChat mini programs.
Although WeChat Pay now works for international travellers, I still recommend using Alipay as your main payment method, as it’s more international user-friendly. But it’s a good idea to have both payment options set up in case one doesn’t work.
Check out my guide on essential apps you need for travelling in China.
Can I Pay by Card in China?
I wouldn’t recommend trying to pay directly by card in China – it’s probably used even less than cash in day-to-day transactions. Hotels, higher-end restaurants and western brand shops are more likely to accept card, but it’s not guaranteed. In most cases when you want to buy a souvenir or snack, you won’t be able to pay by card.
You should definitely get a card without foreign transaction fees to link to AliPay. Note that AliPay does charge a 3% transaction fee for purchases over 200RMB. My go-to travel card is Starling (UK only), as it doesn’t charge fees for ATM withdrawals abroad. Revolut is also an excellent option for European travellers.
Can I Still Use Cash in China?
Technically cash must be accepted everywhere by law. If you don’t want to go through the hassle of setting up Alipay, or don’t want someone to be able to snoop your transaction history, then cash is still a viable method of paying in China.
Having now done a longer trip through China with a travel companion who prefers paying with cash, I can tell you that most places do, in fact, accept cash. We only encountered three or four places that blanket didn’t accept cash on our trip, including two organised street food markets in Xi’an. This was surprising for me, as I’d previously encountered many difficulties paying with cash. More than once, stall or shop owners didn’t have any cash and wanted to transfer me the change back on WeChat.
Overall, I still found that it was much less hassle to pay with Alipay. QR code is the default option in China, and you’re usually automatically presented with a QR code for payment after ordering or buying anything. If you’re ordering from a street stall, it’s also more hygienic for them not to handle cash while they prepare your food. Because cash is used much less often, shop or stall owners don’t always have change to give back, which can sometimes entail a bit of a wait.
There are still occasional instances where neither WeChat nor Alipay will allow you to pay with an international card. This will happen if you’re paying into a personal rather than business account, which can happen with smaller street stalls. In this case, if you have money in your WeChat wallet or Alipay balance from another source (e.g. friend or family member in China), you can use that. Otherwise, you may need to resort to paying by cash.
Cash is good to have as a back-up option if, for some reason, Alipay isn’t accepted (particularly on public buses) or doesn’t work. My bank has rejected transactions for security once or twice. I recommend exchanging a small amount of cash into RMB (<¥500) before arriving in China.
tl;dr you should use Alipay linked to your bank card for payments in China, and have some cash as back up. But if you want to only use cash, it’s still possible.
Check out my other resources to help plan your China trip:
How to use Alipay (+ account set-up at home)
6 Essential Apps for Travelling China
How to book hotels in China
How to book trains in China
Getting Around in China
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Thank you so much for this invaluable information Mimi!
I’m visiting China in March and had been stressing about how to pay for things after I heard my uncle say they only accept online payments 😛
You’re very welcome. Hope you have a smooth trip! 😊