Alipay

Alipay is one of the largest paymentapplications in China, and you’ll find that it’s accepted almost everywhere.Here are some tips on how to make the most of Alipay while traveling in China.

Registration and Setup

Firstly, you’ll need to download andinstall the international version of the Alipay app and register an accountfollowing the instructions step by step. Once you’ve registered, you can linkyour international credit card to your Alipay account.

Very importantly, find the help center withthe iconon the upper right corner of the “Me” pageand you will see the detailed answers for the new users, such as How to addoverseas bank cards, How can foreigners sign up for an Alipay account. You canalso search for help and use the online service. Keep asking questions inEnglish and then you will have an English-speaking customer servicerepresenter. (Note, this is based on the English versionof Alipay in China. Please check if this is the same on your internationalAlipay app）

Making Payments

Alipay uses QR codes for transactions. Tomake a payment, you simply scan the merchant’s QR code and enter the amount tobe paid. Alternatively, the merchant can scan your QR code to deduct the amountfrom your account.

Taking public transport with Alipay

Choose the location firstly. Find all theservice channels, such as Bus, Metro, Taxi, Train, Plane and Bike in the‘Transport’ button.

There are 2 taxi service providers inAlipay, Gaode and Didi. Gaode does not support overseas phone numbers, Didisupports overseas phone numbers.

Alipay supports one of the share bikes -Hello Bike, the blue bike. You can read the Help before you take a bike.

For overseas phone numbers, Bus and Metroare not applicable in all cities. For example, in Beijing, you can obtain thebus QR code, but not Metro QR code if you have an overseas phone number.

If you have a Chinese mobile phone number,there should be no problem in most cities.

The availability of supportfor transport may vary in different cities depending on the information displayedduring the process.

(Updated on 12 July 2024: Alipay & Wechat Possible At Beijing Metro Stations)

Service fee

Transaction fees are waived for singletransactions under 200 RMB. A 3% transaction fee will be applied for singletransactions above 200 RMB.

Exchange Rate

The exchange rate will be calculated basedon the exchange rate provided by the card organization and the issuing bank ofyour international card.

Security

Alipay places a strong emphasis onsecurity. The app uses advanced encryption technology to ensure that yourtransactions are secure. In addition, Alipay has a number of security featuresin place to protect your account, such as real-time monitoring of transactionsand 24/7 customer service.

Wechat Pay

WeChat Pay and Alipay are both leading mobile payment systems in China, but they have some differences:

We welcome our customers to use WeChat as it is an easy way to communicate with us. You can download the international WeChat app and link to your overseas bank card. Find detailed instructions here: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Rm7rQBotG77SQmM6MMv75A.

Then just use the payment function and the chat function. The rest of the Chinese services may be too complicated and unnecessary for foreign users.

Sim Card

Travellers can buy e-sim such as holafly,which can be used in China as if they were using the internet outside Chinawithout restrictions; or they can book a Chinese sim card with us in advancewhen making the booking.

On arrival, they can get a Chinese SIM card by showing their passport.