Wallet

When staying in China, you have a variety of payment options at your fingertips including mobile payments, bank cards and cash. Please follow this guide to learn more about each method.

Bank card

Bank cards from your home country or region are generally accepted in China if the checkout counter displays logos like UnionPay, Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club International or Discover. If not, please ask the cashier if your card is accepted. If you have a UnionPay card, you can use it at all merchant point-of-sale terminals on the Chinese mainland.

Mobile payment

You can enjoy convenient payment services using just your mobile phone. Mobile payment options like Alipay, Weixin Pay (WeChat Pay) and UnionPay are widely available.

★Alipay
① Download the app in the app store or from its official website
② Register with your international phone number (or local phone number) or email address, set a login password, verify your identity with your passport
③ Link your bank cards including Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Diners Club and Discover to your Alipay account
④ Pay by scanning a merchant’s QR code or by presenting your Alipay QR code to the merchant

★Weixin Pay (WeChat Pay)
①Download the app in the app store
②Register with your phone number (international or local) or email address, set a login password, verify your identity with your passport
③Link your bank cards including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Diners Club and Discover to your Alipay account
Pay by scanning a merchant’s QR code or by presenting your WeChat QR code to the merchant

★UnionPay
①Download the app in the app store or from its official website
②Register with your phone number and enable the payment function
③Link your app account with an overseas UnionPay card issued in designated Asian regions and countries, including the Hong Kong SAR, the Macao SAR, and the Republic of Korea, Japan. Please consult your UnionPay card issuers in your home region or country for specific guidance
Pay by scanning a merchant’s QR code or by presenting your UnionPay QR code to the merchant

Tips:
You can enjoy smooth UnionPay mobile payments without a UnionPay card on the Chinese mainland
①Download the app in the app store or from its official website
②Register with your phone number and sign in
③Apply for a Tour card and top up the Tour card with your bank card
Pay by scanning a merchant’s QR code or by presenting your QR code to the merchant; for consumer apps, please select UnionPay app in the payment method list upon checkout

★E-wallet
You can pay directly with your e-wallets, which are accepted by merchants in China without downloading other apps

Cash

You can also pay in cash. You can either exchange foreign currency for renminbi cash at commercial bank branches, money changers and self-service currency exchange machines at international airports, land, sea and other ports of entry, or withdraw RMB cash from ATMs using international bank cards. In downtown areas, you can still get RMB cash via these methods.

Bank account

You can open a bank account with your passport or other valid ID at any nearby bank outlet, such as Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), Agricultural Bank of China (ABC), Bank of China (BOC), China Construction Bank (CCB) and Bank of Communications (BOCOM). Please consult the staff at the bank outlet or visit their official websites for more information.

E-CNY (digital currency)

You can also pay with e-CNY
①Download the app in the app store
②Register with your international phone number and sign in
③Open or add e-CNY wallets by selecting any authorized operator
Link your bank cards (Visa or Mastercard) to enable “top up as you pay”, then pay by scanning a merchant’s QR code or by presenting your QR code to the merchant

★The e-CNY app payment service is currently available in selected pilot areas, including:
Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Dalian, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang (Hangzhou, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Huzhou, Shaoxing and Jinhua), Fujian (Fuzhou and Xiamen), Shandong (Ji’nan and Qingdao), Changsha, Guangdong, Guangxi (Nanning and Fangchenggang), Hainan, Chongqing, Sichuan, Yunnan (Kunming and Xishuangbanna) and Xi’an.

(Information updated December 2025)