Download Alipay and WeChat at home, register with a number that receives SMS, verify with your passport when asked, and link a supported foreign card (Visa and Mastercard are the usual starting point). You do not need a Chinese bank account for ordinary QR payments. A single payment over ¥200 typically carries a 3% fee on both apps. Keep a physical card and some cash as a backup.
Last verified on · First published · 6 sources
Key facts
| Chinese bank account | Not required for ordinary merchant QR payments |
|---|---|
| Cards often accepted for linking | Alipay: UnionPay, Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Diners Club, Discover (official visitor leaflet). WeChat: Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Diners Club — always check the in-app list |
| The fee | Typically 3% on a single international-card payment over ¥200; ¥200 and under generally waived |
| What you need | A phone number that receives SMS · passport for identity checks · a bank that allows overseas authorisations |
| When to set it up | Before you fly, while you can still receive SMS and reach official app stores |
| Backup | A physical card, and a little RMB cash |
You do not need a Chinese bank account for everyday QR payments. Set both apps up at home, link a Visa or Mastercard, and know the typical 3% fee on a single payment over ¥200.
Who this is for
- First-timers who have never scanned a QR code to pay for lunch.
Skip this if
- The apps already work — read the night-before checklist instead.
The short version
You can pay in most of mainland China by linking a foreign debit or credit card to Alipay and WeChat Pay (Weixin Pay). You do not need a Chinese bank account for ordinary QR payments. You do need a phone number that can receive SMS, your passport for identity checks when the app asks, and a card whose bank allows overseas or online authorisations.
Set both apps up before you fly, while you still have reliable SMS and can reach the official app stores. Then keep a physical card and a little cash as a backup. Some small stalls still prefer one wallet over the other; having both avoids the awkward moment at the till.
The 3% fee, honestly
On both Alipay and WeChat Pay, official operator rules published in 2026 describe a 3% service fee on a single payment made with a linked international card when the amount is above ¥200, calculated on the whole amount, not only the part above the threshold. Payments of ¥200 or below (inclusive) are waived. This is the wording on Tenpay’s official announcement of 15 January 2026 for WeChat Pay / Weixin Pay; WeChat Help Centre pages and later government English summaries point to the same structure. Always read the fee line on the confirmation screen — card networks, banks and the apps can change the terms, and promotional first-bind waivers (where they appear) are not the standing rule and should not be treated as a fixed 60- or 90-day guarantee.
The practical workarounds, if a bill is large: pay where a physical foreign card is accepted (hotels, many bigger restaurants, department stores); or split the bill into payments of ¥200 or less, if the merchant agrees. Always read the fee line on the confirmation screen before you pay — card networks, banks and the apps can change the terms.
Alipay, step by step
Download the official app
From the App Store or Google Play, or from Alipay’s own site — not a random APK. Register with your home mobile number.
Choose the international-visitor path
When the app offers it, follow the overseas or international flow rather than inventing a local identity.
Verify with your passport
If asked, photograph the data page clearly: four corners, no glare, name entered exactly as printed. A selfie check is common.
Add a card
A Chinese-embassy visitor leaflet lists UnionPay, Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Diners Club and Discover as cards that can be added to Alipay. Follow the in-app list on your version — menus move. Approve your bank’s SMS or app prompt. This is the step that most often fails, and it is usually the bank blocking the authorisation, not China.
Make a tiny test payment
A bottle of water at a convenience store is enough. Do this before a busy restaurant on Friday night.
To pay: tap Scan and point at the merchant’s QR code, or tap Pay / Receive and let them scan yours. Alipay’s English service hotline, as printed in official visitor material, is +86-571-2688-6000.
WeChat Pay, step by step
Install WeChat and create your account at home
New WeChat accounts sometimes need an existing user to verify them. That is much easier to sort out before you travel.
Open Wallet
Go to Me → Services → Wallet (wording varies by version and region). If Wallet is hidden, WeChat’s own help describes enabling it under Me → Settings → General → Tools → Weixin Pay, or by scanning an official activation code.
Add a card and complete identity checks
WeChat’s help centre says you will need the card number, your full name exactly as on the bank account, the ID used to open that account (your passport), the matching country or region, and the mobile number registered with the bank — which must be able to receive the SMS code. Official introductions have listed Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Diners Club for WeChat Pay; again, trust the list in your app.
WeChat Pay can be fussier than Alipay for some overseas accounts. If Wallet will not appear or a card will not bind, wait, fix the bank authorisation, try a second card, or lean on Alipay for the trip while you sort WeChat out. Do not spam retries.
What a foreign-card wallet cannot do
Everyday merchant QR payments are the feature you actually need, and they work. Person-to-person transfers, red packets, and some financial products are often restricted on international-card wallets. You also cannot assume every taxi or market stall will take a physical Visa card — many will only take a QR wallet. That is why the apps matter.
Some foreign e-wallets (for example AlipayHK, WeChat Pay HK, and several Korean, Southeast Asian and other wallets) can pay by scanning a QR code in the mainland, according to China’s official travel-service guidance. If you already use one of those at home, check its current mainland notice — we do not list every partner here because the list changes.
When it fails
- The card will not bind. Enable international and online payments in your banking app. Approve any 3-D Secure prompt. Try a second card from a different bank. Wait between attempts.
- Verification is rejected. Retake the passport photo. Match the name to the passport, including spaces. Use the number that actually receives SMS. Roaming SMS can be slow.
- A merchant’s QR will not scan. Try the other wallet, or ask if they take a physical card. Keep a small amount of cash for the stall that takes neither.
A printable, tick-as-you-go version of this lives in our night-before payment checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Chinese bank account to use Alipay or WeChat Pay?
No. For everyday merchant QR payments, a linked foreign card and a completed identity check are what official visitor guidance describes. Some other wallet features, such as person-to-person transfers, may still be restricted.
Is there a fee for paying with a foreign card in Alipay or WeChat?
On official 2026 operator wording (Tenpay, 15 January 2026), a single payment with a linked international card of ¥200 or below (inclusive) is waived; above ¥200, a 3% fee is charged on the whole amount. Promotional first-bind waivers are not the standing rule. Your own bank may charge a separate foreign-transaction fee. Read the confirmation screen on the day. Last verified: 2026-11-12.
Should I set up Alipay or WeChat Pay first?
Set up both if you can. Many visitors find Alipay’s international-visitor flow clearer. Some stalls only show one QR code. WeChat itself is also how hotels and vendors will message you.
My card will not bind. What now?
Enable international and online payments in your banking app, approve the 3-D Secure prompt, and try a second card from a different bank. The usual cause is the issuing bank blocking the authorisation, not the restaurant.
Sources
- Tenpay / Weixin Pay operator — official fee structure (single payments of ¥200 or below waived; above ¥200, 3% on the full amount), announcement dated 15 January 2026. Confirm the current page.
- Mobile payment visitor leaflet — Embassy of the PRC in the United States (PDF, July 2026)
- Requirements for using Weixin Pay — WeChat Help Center
- How to set up international cards for Weixin Pay — WeChat Help Center
- WeChat Pay fee waiver under 200 yuan — Beijing Municipal Government (English)
- Mobile payment — Travel China (official tourism service)