Set up Alipay and WeChat Pay before you fly

Fees and limits for foreign users have changed several times. We describe how it works and link to the apps’ own help pages; check the current numbers in the app before you travel.

In China’s cities, hotels and big shops increasingly take foreign cards. In the mountains, almost nobody does. Guesthouses, drivers, horse handlers and noodle shops expect you to scan a QR code with Alipay or WeChat Pay. Set both up before you leave home.

You don’t need to top up

You don’t load money into either app. You link your own Visa or Mastercard, and each payment is charged to your card. You don’t need a Chinese bank account or a Chinese phone number.

Alipay (do this first)

1. Download Alipay from your usual app store and sign up with your own mobile number.
2. Add your Visa or Mastercard under Bank cards.
3. Complete identity verification with your passport. This raises your limits.
4. Make a small test payment, for example to a friend, so you know it works before you land.

WeChat Pay (your backup)

1. Download WeChat and create an account with your mobile number.
2. Open Me → Services → Wallet and add your card.
3. Verify with your passport when asked.

Tell your bank

Card issuers sometimes block the first payment from China. Tell your bank you are travelling, and carry a second card from a different bank.

Always carry some cash

Signal disappears on some trails, and an app is no use without data. Bring some yuan in small notes for horses, path fees and guesthouses. See paying on the trail for how much to carry.

Easier still

If you’d rather not deal with any of it, we can prepay your guesthouses, tickets and drivers and invoice you in US dollars before you travel.