Ultimate Guide for Mobile Payment in China (Include Alipay & Wechat Pay)

Mobile payment platforms such as Alipay and WeChat Pay are the most prevalent payment methods in China. These platforms are widely accepted everywhere from upscale establishments to small street vendors. Recently, both Alipay and WeChat Pay have enabled services for foreigners by allowing them to link their international credit or debit cards.

Alipay

Based on many oversea travels, Alipay is currently the best choice for your mobile payment because of its better success rate in bank account linking and payment transactions. Next is the tutorial for your start:

HOW TO USE ALIPAY

STEP1 —— Make sure your cards support payments in China: inform your bank beforehand and ensure that your card is authorized for international use. Types of foreign card can link to Alipay: Mastercard/ Visa/ Diner's Club International/ Discover/JCB/ Barclays/ Wise cards

STEP2 —— Download Alipay& Register: Download Alipay from the app or google store, then register with your mobile number.

STEP3 —— Bind your cards to Alipay: Go to the lower right corner tap ”Me” > Bank Card” > ”Add card” and then follow the on-page prompts to add your card. Tap “Verify now” and follow the page prompts to fill in your identity information.

STEP4 —— How to Make Payments:  After successfully linking your card with Alipay, you can start to make payments. There are mainly two ways:

• To Pay by Scanning: Tap Scan, and then scan the merchant -presented QR code.

• To Pay by being Scanned: Tap Pay/Collect and then present your QR code to the merchant.

MOST ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT ALIPAY

How do I know the exchange rate of the transactions made with overseas bank cards on Alipay?

The exchange rate for overseas bank card is provided by the card organization and issuing bank to which your card belongs. Please refer to the actual billing statement for specific information.

Is there a limit for the amount of transactions?

Currently overseas bank card payments are limited to a single transaction limit of 3000, a monthly cumulative limit of￥50.000, and an annual cumulative limit of￥60.000 per account

How much is the transaction fee for overseas card payments on Alipay?

There is a transaction fee for using overseas credit cards. However that for transactions under ￥200 would be waived. A 3% transaction fee will be charged for each transaction above ￥200. If you initiate a refund, the transaction fee will be refunded along with the payment order amount.

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WeChat Pay

Wechat is another widely used application in China. It is even more popluar than Alipay among Chinese users since it also functions as a social application as Whatsapp. You can check Wechat Use Guide here.

HOW TO USE WECHAT PAY

STEP1 —— Make sure your credit cards support payments in China: Same as Alipay, you need check if your card support international payments. Types of foreign credit cards accepted by Wechat are: Mastercard/ Visa/ Diner's Club International/ Discover/ JCB

STEP2 —— Download Alipay& Register: Download Wechat from the app or google store, make sure you download the international version. Then register with your mobile number.

STEP3 —— Access WeChat Pay for Real-name Authentication: Go to the lower right corner tap ”Me” > “Service” > ”Wallet” > "ID Info". to finish the real-name authentication. For foreigners, you can finish the authentication with your passport.

STEP4 —— Bind Cards to WeChat Pay: Tap ”Me” > “Service” > ”Wallet” > "Add a Card". Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the process.

STEP5 —— How to Make Payments:  After successfully linking your card with WeChat, you can start to make payments. There are mainly two ways:

• To pay by scanning: Click “Discover” > “Scan” to scan the “Receive money code” presented by the merchant.

• To be scanned: Click “Me” > “Services” > “Money” to show your “payment code” to the merchant.

MOST ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT WECHAT PAY

What kind of transactions does WeChat Pay currently support for international cards?

Currently, international cards can be used for everyday purchases within the Chinese mainland. However, international cards do not support certain features such as red packets and money transfers, etc.

Is there a transaction limit? How is the exchange rate calculated?

There is a limit of 6,000 RMB for single transactions, a cumulative monthly limit of 50,000 RMB, and a cumulative yearly limit of 60,000 RMB for transactions. The exchange rate will be calculated based on the exchange rate provided by the card organization and the issuing bank of your international card.

Are there any transaction fees?

Yes, there are transaction fees. However, transaction fees are waived for single transactions under 200 RMB. A 3% transaction fee will be applied for single transactions above 200 RMB. If you request a refund for a transaction, the transaction fee will be reimbursed in proportion to the refunded amount.