The currency is the renminbi (RMB, "the people's currency"); the unit you count in is the yuan, written ¥ or CNY and spoken as kuài in everyday speech. One yuan divides into 10 jiǎo (spoken máo), which you will see on price tags and almost never handle.
Beyond that, everything you know about paying for things needs adjusting.
Why China is different#
China's payment system leapfrogged plastic. Card penetration was low in the 2000s, smartphones arrived cheap and fast, and by the mid-2010s Alipay (支付宝, Alibaba) and WeChat Pay (微信支付, Tencent) had absorbed nearly all retail payment. Today the overwhelming majority of urban consumer transactions run through a QR code scanned in one of those two apps.
Consequences for a visitor:
- A Visa or Mastercard is useless in most shops. International hotel chains, airport retail, upmarket restaurants and department stores take them. Noodle shops, temple ticket offices, taxis, markets, bike shares and vending machines do not.
- Cash still works legally — the People's Bank of China has repeatedly reminded merchants that refusing cash is illegal — but many small vendors genuinely cannot make change.
- The fix is to become a QR payer. Since 2023 both apps accept foreign Visa, Mastercard, Diners, Discover and JCB cards from tourists.
Setting up Alipay as a foreigner#
Alipay is the easier of the two for visitors, because its international tourist flow is better developed and its interface has a full English mode.
- Download Alipay from your home app store (it is on both the App Store and Google Play).
- Sign up with your mobile number, including country code. You will receive an SMS verification code.
- Switch to English — the app usually detects your phone's language; if not, it is under Me → Settings → General → Language.
- Verify your identity. Under Me → Account & Security, submit your passport details and a photo of the passport page. This is required to spend above small limits.
- Add a card. Under Me → Bank Cards → Add, enter a Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Diners or Discover card. Some issuers block the initial verification as a suspicious foreign transaction, so tell your bank you are travelling first.
- Optional: Tour Pass. Alipay's Tour Pass mini-program creates a prepaid virtual card you top up with a foreign card, useful if you would rather not bind your real card. It carries its own service fee and an expiry period.
Fees#
Alipay currently charges around 3% on transactions above ¥200 paid with a bound foreign card, and nothing below ¥200. In practice most of your day — meals, metro rides, coffees, entry tickets — falls under the threshold and is free. Your own bank's foreign transaction fee and exchange rate apply on top.
Setting up WeChat Pay#
WeChat is a messaging app that happens to run a payment network, and it is the one your Chinese hosts and guides will use to contact you. Setup mirrors Alipay: register, verify with a passport under Me → Services → Wallet, then add an international card. Fees are similar.
WeChat's known friction point is account registration: new accounts are sometimes required to be "vouched for" by an existing WeChat user who scans a QR code. If you know anyone with an established account, register while you are with them. Alipay has no such requirement, which is why it is the safer primary.
How paying actually works#
Two directions, and it matters which one you are in:
- Merchant scans you. You open Pay in Alipay or WeChat, which displays a barcode and QR. The cashier scans it with a handheld scanner. This is the norm in shops and supermarkets.
- You scan the merchant. You tap Scan, point at the printed QR on the counter or table, then type the amount yourself and confirm. This is the norm for street stalls, markets and small restaurants. Type carefully — you are entering the amount.
For the metro, open the transport QR inside Alipay (Transport → your city) and scan at the gate on the way in and again on the way out.
Cash, ATMs and exchange#
Carry ¥500–1,000. You will use it for rural buses, temple donation boxes, the occasional stubborn ticket window, and as insurance against a phone with a dead battery.
ATMs. The reliable ones for foreign cards are Bank of China, ICBC, China Construction Bank and Agricultural Bank of China. Look for the Visa/Plus or Mastercard/Cirrus logo. Airport arrival halls always have them.
- Withdrawal limits are typically ¥2,000–3,000 per transaction
- Chinese banks may add ¥15–25; your own bank will add its own fee
- Withdraw larger amounts less often
- Notify your bank of your travel dates to avoid a fraud block
Exchange counters exist at airports and Bank of China branches but involve forms and a passport, and their rates are poor. Use an ATM.
Notes come in ¥1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100. The ¥100 is the workhorse and the one that small vendors struggle to change; break it at a supermarket or convenience store.
What to do when payment fails#
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Card declined on binding | Call your bank — the verification charge reads as a foreign online transaction and is often auto-blocked |
| "Merchant does not support international cards" | Some small merchants use a personal-account QR that cannot take foreign cards. Pay cash, or ask a companion to pay and reimburse them |
| Payment over ¥200 refused | Some cards fail above the fee threshold. Split into two payments, or use the Tour Pass balance |
| Phone battery dead | Cash. This is the entire reason to carry it |
| No data signal | Alipay's payment code works briefly offline and refreshes; if it will not load, use cash |
| Account frozen after unusual activity | Complete the in-app verification prompt; a passport re-scan usually restores it within an hour |
Costs and tipping#
Typical prices are in our China trip cost guide. Two behavioural notes:
Tipping is not customary. Restaurants, cafés, bars and taxis do not expect it, and leaving money on the table can prompt a waiter to chase you down the street. Tipping a private guide or driver ¥50–100 per day has become normal and is genuinely appreciated; hotel porters in five-star hotels will accept ¥10–20.
Bargaining is contextual. Expected in tourist markets, antique streets and with street hawkers — start around 30% of the asking price and be prepared to walk. Never appropriate in shops with marked prices, chains, supermarkets, restaurants or for taxis and official tickets.
A note on Hong Kong and Macau#
They are separate currency zones. Hong Kong uses the Hong Kong dollar (HKD); Macau uses the pataca (MOP), though HKD circulates freely there. Alipay and WeChat Pay both operate local versions, but a mainland Alipay balance does not automatically work across the border. In Hong Kong, however, ordinary Visa and Mastercard contactless payment works everywhere — it is the one part of Greater China where your normal card behaves normally. The Octopus card handles transit.
Frequently asked questions#
Can foreigners use Alipay in China?#
Yes. Since 2023 Alipay accepts foreign Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Diners and Discover cards from visitors. Register with your phone number, verify your identity with your passport, then bind the card. Do this before you arrive, because verification may require an SMS code.
Does WeChat Pay work with a foreign credit card?#
Yes, with the same international card networks. The friction is WeChat account registration itself, which sometimes requires an existing user to vouch for a new account. Alipay has no such requirement, which makes it the safer primary wallet for visitors.
Are there fees for using Alipay with a foreign card?#
Alipay currently charges roughly 3% on transactions above ¥200 and nothing below that threshold. Your own bank's foreign transaction fee applies on top. Most everyday spending — meals, metro, tickets — falls below ¥200.
Should I bring cash to China?#
Bring ¥500–1,000 as a backup for rural buses, donation boxes, cash-only windows and a dead phone battery. Merchants are legally required to accept cash, but many small ones cannot make change for a ¥100 note.
Can I use my credit card in China?#
Only at international hotel chains, airports, department stores and upmarket restaurants. Elsewhere, QR-code payment through Alipay or WeChat Pay is the practical answer. Hong Kong is the exception, where contactless cards work everywhere.
What is the currency in China?#
The renminbi (RMB), whose unit is the yuan, written ¥ or CNY and spoken as kuài. One US dollar is roughly ¥7.1 and one euro roughly ¥7.7, though rates move.