The evening before you fly, download and verify Alipay and WeChat Pay, turn on international payments at your bank, install Amap and a working data plan, save your hotel’s Chinese address, and pack a physical card plus a little cash. After you land, make a tiny test payment before you rely on a wallet for dinner.
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Key facts
| When | The night before you fly — not at the arrival hall |
|---|---|
| Wallets | Alipay and WeChat Pay, both, if you can |
| The fee to remember | 3% on a single wallet payment over ¥200, plus your bank’s own fee |
| Map | Amap (高德地图), not Google Maps as your primary map |
| This list | Ticks stay on your screen until you refresh; nothing is sent to us |
Why this is a night-before job
The usual failure is not “China doesn’t take foreign cards.” It is that a bank blocks the first authorisation, an SMS never arrives on roaming, or WeChat wants an existing user to verify a brand-new account — all of which are easier to fix at home. Use this list the evening before you fly. Tick what you have done; the ticks stay on this page until you refresh (nothing is sent to us).
The full explanation of fees and menus is in How to set up Alipay and WeChat Pay.
The checklist
What to put in your bag, not just on your phone
- The physical card you linked, plus a second card from a different bank if you have one.
- Some cash in RMB — ATMs that take foreign cards exist in airports and many malls, but they are not on every corner, and fees vary. We have not published a specific ATM-fee table; check your bank.
- A paper printout of your first night’s Chinese address, in case the phone is dead.
- Your onward or return ticket, printed or offline, if you are entering on the 240-hour transit.
Frequently asked questions
Can I set this up after I land?
Some of it, yes — but new WeChat accounts, SMS codes and official app-store downloads are all easier at home. Do the accounts before you fly.
Do I still need cash?
A small amount of RMB is a sensible backup for the stall that will not take a QR code, and for the hour a card fails. You will pay for most things with a wallet.
Does the Shenzhen metro need Alipay?
Not necessarily. Since 10 September 2026 you can tap a contactless Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay, American Express or JCB card at every gate. Alipay is a good backup.