How each major foreign card behaves in mainland China — point-of-sale acceptance, app linking, and the reliable workaround for every issuer.
Last verified: 2026-10-27
Whichever card you carry, the reliable pattern is the same: link it to Alipay or WeChat Pay once (about ten minutes) and pay by QR code everywhere — the card itself stays in your pocket. Direct card terminals exist mainly in hotels, upscale malls and the airports. Each page below covers POS acceptance, app-linking steps, and the fees your issuer adds on top.