How to Pay in China: Alipay, WeChat Pay & TenPayGo for Foreigners

Visa and Mastercard acceptance is limited in China. Here’s how to link your foreign card to Alipay, WeChat Pay, and TenPayGo so you can pay like a local.

Bokang Huang· Payments, eSIM and apps

Last updated October 16, 2026

Tested in China on a foreign card. Sources linked at the foot of this page.

Reviewed 2026-10-16. Payment provider terms and fees change: check the apps before you travel.

The situation on the ground

China is nearly cashless: QR codes pay for street food, metro tickets, taxis, and even temple entrance fees. But the cards in your wallet don’t help much:

Visa/Mastercard are accepted at hotels and larger stores, but often rejected at small shops and restaurants.
Apple Pay / Google Pay tap-to-pay is not the norm offline. The terminal that takes a QR code usually won’t take your phone wallet.
Cash still works and is the right emergency backup, but some vendors struggle with change.

The fix is to link your existing foreign card to a Chinese payment app before you land.

Set up Alipay first

Download Alipay and sign up with your phone number.
Add your Visa, Mastercard, or American Express card.
Verify your identity with your passport when prompted.
Pay by showing your QR code or scanning the merchant’s code.

Alipay is accepted almost everywhere and is the most foreigner-friendly of the apps.

Add WeChat Pay as backup

WeChat Pay is the other half of the duopoly, and some vendors only take WeChat. The setup is similar: sign up, add your foreign card, verify with your passport. Keep both apps.

TenPayGo: built for foreign travelers

TenPayGo is Tencent’s separate app for foreign visitors, launched on 24 September 2026. You register with an email address, so you do not need a Chinese phone number or a Chinese bank account, then link an international card (UnionPay, Visa, Mastercard and four other networks), an overseas wallet, or Apple Pay. It pays over the WeChat Pay merchant network, so it works where WeChat Pay works, and it adds visitor features such as a Shenzhen transit QR code and a translate tool. If a Chinese phone number has been blocking you, or you want one app dedicated to travel, start here.

What to do before your flight

Install Alipay and WeChat Pay, and add TenPayGo if you cannot complete verification or do not have a Chinese phone number.
Link your Visa/Mastercard and complete passport verification, do this at home, because the apps sometimes need SMS codes.
Test a small top-up or check that your card shows as verified.
Withdraw or bring ¥200–500 in cash as a fallback.

On the ground

The merchant scans your QR, or you scan theirs. Either way, the app pays with your linked card.
Small transaction fees can apply to foreign cards after a threshold: usually a few percent.
If a payment fails, try the other app before reaching for cash.

Bottom line

Spend 20 minutes setting up Alipay + WeChat Pay (+ TenPayGo) before you fly, and paying in China stops being a problem. Keep a little cash for the rare holdout.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my Visa or Mastercard in China?

At large hotels and some international chains, yes. Most everyday places, including restaurants, markets and taxis, are QR-payment only, so a card alone will not cover a normal day.

Do I need Alipay or WeChat Pay as a foreigner?

Yes, if you want to shop and eat where locals do. Both accept foreign cards now. Alipay is the easier setup and the one to do first, with WeChat Pay as backup.

Can I still use cash in China?

Cash is legal tender and must be accepted, but in practice small vendors often cannot make change, and some are genuinely cashless. Carry a small amount as backup rather than as your main method.

Which payment app should I set up first?

Alipay. It has the simpler foreign-card flow and broader acceptance at small merchants. Add WeChat Pay afterwards as a second option in case one has an issue with your card.

Sources & official links

Every factual claim on this page traces back to one of these documents. They are the authority, not us.