China skipped cards and went straight from cash to QR codes. Alipay and WeChat Pay are not a convenience there — they are the default, and a visitor without one is constantly the awkward person at the counter.
Setting it up#
Download Alipay before you arrive, while the app stores and verification SMS still reach you easily. Register with your normal phone number, switch the interface to English in the settings, then complete real-name verification by photographing your passport. Bind your Visa or Mastercard under the payment settings.
Do all of this at home. Verification occasionally needs a second attempt, and sorting that out in an airport arrivals hall on patchy wifi is a bad start.
What actually works#
Paying merchants works essentially everywhere: restaurants, convenience shops, market stalls, metro gates, taxis, vending machines. You either scan the merchant's QR code or show them yours.
Alipay also carries mini-programs that replace separate apps — DiDi for taxis, metro passes for most large cities, and train and attraction bookings — many of which now have English versions inside the app.
Fees, honestly#
Alipay applies a service fee to foreign-card payments above a small-transaction threshold, and waives it below. Both the threshold and the rate are set by Alipay and have changed more than once, so check the current terms inside the app rather than trusting any figure you read online — including a figure quoted in a guide written months ago.
Do you need WeChat Pay too#
One is enough for paying. Set up Alipay first: its English support is better and its foreign-card handling has been more reliable. Install WeChat anyway, because it is how people will expect to contact you, but you do not need to make its payment side work.
Keep some cash regardless. Cash remains legal tender and vendors must accept it, though in practice you will use it rarely.
For the full picture on cards, ATMs, currency and what to do when a payment is declined, read the guide to money and payments in China.