Payments & money

How foreign cards, Alipay, WeChat Pay and cash fit together in China, and what to set up before you fly. Card acceptance varies by city and vendor, so a fallback is worth having.

Cash works in fewer and fewer places: roughly 90% of daily transactions in Chinese cities now run through Alipay or WeChat Pay QR codes, from subway gates to fruit stalls. Foreign Visa and Mastercard link to both apps in about ten minutes, and after linking, your physical card stays in your pocket.

The failure modes are predictable: cards without 3-D verification, AMEX acceptance gaps, and daily limits you can raise in-app. The guides below walk the setup step by step; the problem pages cover the specific decline messages travelers report most.

• Payment methods compared
  How foreign cards, Alipay, WeChat Pay and cash fit together in China, and what to set up before you fly. Card acceptance varies by city and vendor, so a fallback is worth having.
• Alipay for foreigners
  Set-up guide for foreign cards: what works, what gets declined, and the 3% fee nobody mentions.
• Using Visa cards
  Which passports enter visa-free, how visa-free transit works, and where to check your own nationality. If you do need a visa, the application route and timelines are covered in the guides below.
• Payment cheat sheet
  Alipay, WeChat Pay, cash, foreign cards: the 4-method stack that works for travelers in mainland China. Updated 2026.
• Alipay not working
• ATM fees for foreign cards