China is highly mobile-payment oriented, but traveler reports show edge cases. These tips are distilled from r/travelchina and r/chinatravel.
What to set up
- Alipay is the most commonly recommended starting point.
- WeChat Pay is a useful backup because some vendors only accept one of the two.
- Set up and test before arriving; some users report verification steps that are harder once in China.
- Some travelers report that payment apps only work reliably once they are inside China.
Practical backup plan
- Carry some cash for small vendors or rare payment failures.
- If one card fails in an app, try another card or the other app.
- Expect QR ordering in restaurants and QR-based payments at shops.
- Some travelers mention foreign-card fees on larger Alipay transactions and split payments to reduce issues.
Common issues travelers mention
- Account verification can be picky about document photos or card checks.
- Some apps require phone verification or a local number for full features.
- Linking international cards may work for some users and fail for others; have a backup card ready.
Source note: compiled from payment setup and troubleshooting threads in r/travelchina and r/chinatravel.