How to Set Up Alipay and WeChat Pay as a Foreign Tourist in China

Why Payments Are Different in China

China runs on mobile payment — over 90% of urban transactions happen through Alipay or WeChat Pay, not cash or cards. For most travel to China, knowing how to pay with WeChat (or Alipay) before you land matters more than packing the right adapter. Until 2023, both platforms required a Chinese bank account, locking tourists out. That's changed: foreign Visa, Mastercard, and Amex cards can now link directly to both apps — no Chinese bank account needed. Set it up before departure, while you still have unrestricted internet access.

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Setting Up Alipay as a Foreign Visitor

Step 1: Download Alipay

Download Alipay from the App Store or Google Play. Make sure you're downloading the international version — it has a globe icon and supports English.

Step 2: Create an account with your foreign phone number

Open Alipay and tap Sign Up. Enter your country code and mobile number. You'll receive a verification SMS. You do not need a Chinese phone number.

Step 3: Link your international card

After signing in, go to: Me → Bank Cards → Add Card

Supported cards:

• Visa
• Mastercard
• American Express
• Maestro (some countries)

Enter your card number, expiry date, and CVV. You may be asked to verify via your bank's 3D Secure system. A small temporary hold (refunded immediately) may appear on your statement during verification.

Step 4: Complete identity verification

Alipay requires identity verification for foreign cardholders:

1. Go to Me → Settings → Identity Verification
2. Take a photo of your passport (photo page)
3. Take a selfie holding your passport

This usually completes within a few minutes. Once verified, your spending limit is raised from the default tourist tier.

Step 5: Set up the Tour Pass (optional)

Alipay's Tour Pass feature is designed for short-term visitors. It allows you to top up a prepaid balance from your foreign card, which avoids any per-transaction foreign exchange fees your bank might charge.

Find it at: Home → Tour Pass (or search "Tour Pass" in the app).

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Setting Up WeChat Pay as a Foreign Visitor

WeChat Pay is built into WeChat, China's dominant messaging app — so once you're using WeChat anyway, setting up wechat payment gives you a second way to pay alongside Alipay.

Step 1: Download WeChat and create an account

Download WeChat before you arrive. Creating a new account in China can trigger identity verification challenges — it's much smoother to set up while abroad.

Step 2: Link your international card

1. Open WeChat
2. Tap Me → Services → Wallet
3. Tap Cards → Add a Card
4. Select your card type and enter card details

WeChat Pay supports Visa, Mastercard, and JCB for foreign tourists. Amex support varies by region.

Step 3: Set transaction currency

Go to Wallet → Settings and confirm your home currency. This is also where you'll find your WeChat payment QR code — the one you'll show to pay with WeChat at most shops, restaurants, and street vendors in China.

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Spending Limits

Both Alipay and WeChat Pay limit how much foreign cards can spend per day and month. As of 2026:

Platform	Daily limit	Monthly limit
Alipay (unverified)	¥500	¥1,500
Alipay (ID verified)	¥2,000	¥20,000
WeChat Pay (foreign card)	¥3,000	¥30,000

For most tourists, the verified Alipay limit is sufficient. If you're spending more (hotels, large purchases), use a hotel's international card terminal or UnionPay ATM.

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What Still Doesn't Work

A few scenarios where WeChat Pay or Alipay won't help:

• Hospital fees and large medical bills — bank transfer or cash preferred
• Some government services — require a Chinese bank account
• WeChat Face Pay: You'll occasionally see WeChat's facial-recognition payment terminals at supermarkets and chain stores in China. This is tied to a verified Chinese ID and isn't available to foreign tourists — stick to QR code scanning, which works the same for you either way.
• Older rural businesses or personal sellers — some use a personal collection QR code (个人收款码) instead of a business terminal. You can still scan and pay with WeChat normally; the funds just land in their personal wallet balance instead of a business account.

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Tips for Using Mobile Payments in China

• Scan vs. be scanned: Most cashiers show you a QR code to scan. Elsewhere, you'll show your own payment QR code for them to scan — both work whether you pay with WeChat or Alipay.
• Save screenshots of your QR codes: A screenshot taken while online can often still be scanned if your phone drops connection.
• Subway and transit: Most metro systems now accept WeChat Pay or Alipay directly at the gates.

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Setting up payments is one of the most important pre-trip tasks. The ChinaReady app walks you through the full setup with screenshots and links — download the app to get early access.