In Chinese cities almost every purchase — a ¥5 breakfast, a metro ride, a temple ticket — is paid by scanning a QR code with your phone. As a visitor you no longer need a Chinese bank account: Alipay and WeChat Pay both let you link a foreign Visa or Mastercard. Set one (ideally both) up at home, run a small test payment, and keep a little cash as backup.
The three ways to pay, ranked
- Alipay with your foreign card — accepted almost everywhere, English interface, plus taxis (Didi), metro codes and translation inside the app.
- WeChat Pay with your foreign card — equally widespread; some small vendors only show a WeChat code, which is why a backup matters.
- Cash (RMB) — still legal tender and accepted, but many small shops rarely handle change. Carry a few hundred yuan for rural areas and emergencies.
Physical Visa/Mastercard terminals exist mainly in international hotels, big malls and airports — useful, but you cannot rely on them for daily life.
How QR payment works at the counter
- You scan the shop's code (a printed QR on the counter): open Alipay/WeChat → Scan → enter the amount → confirm.
- The shop scans your code: open your "Pay" code in the app and show it at the till. Supermarkets and chains usually do this.
- Either way the money is charged to the card you linked, converted from RMB by your card network.
Fees and limits in plain words
- Small payments (each under about ¥200) are generally free of the platform's foreign-card fee; larger ones carry roughly 3%. Your own bank may add its foreign-transaction fee.
- Per-payment and yearly caps apply to foreign cards. They are high enough for meals, tickets and most hotels; the current figures are shown inside each app.
A 15-minute checklist before you fly
- Install Alipay and WeChat, register with your own phone number.
- Link your card and finish the identity check (passport photo) on fast Wi-Fi.
- Tell your bank you're travelling to China so the first charge isn't blocked.
- Run a real test payment — the test card on this page takes ¥10 (less than $2) and tells you immediately if your card goes through.
- Make sure your home SIM can receive SMS abroad; verification codes go there.