First-day preparation

Can Foreigners Use Alipay in China?

Yes: eligible visitors can link supported international cards to Alipay. Follow the setup checks, distinguish merchant payments from transfers, and plan a first purchase.

Updated 2026-09-17By China First Day · Editorial approach

Quick answer

Visitors can link supported international cards to Alipay for eligible merchant purchases in mainland China. Whether your own transaction succeeds still depends on the card, issuer, account checks and checkout. Prepare it before departure and keep another way to pay.

Travel desk with smartphone payment checklist, passport, bank card, RMB cash, and hotel address note.

Before you start

Have your own phone number, physical card and passport available for any verification the app requests. Make sure you can receive issuer authentication while away.
Install the official Alipay app. Sign in or register; choose your preferred language in the app settings.
Use the card-linking flow rather than assuming you must top up a wallet balance. Follow the current instructions for your account.

Add your card and check the account

Open Me → Bank Cards and follow the add-card instructions; the labels can vary with app versions.
Enter your own card details accurately. Complete any identity or bank verification requested and check whether it is approved or still pending.
If rejected, read the exact error and use Alipay or issuer support. A card network logo alone does not establish that every issuer or card type is supported.

How to make the first payment

At a staffed merchant checkout, ask whether to scan the merchant’s code or show your in-app payment code.
Check the merchant, amount, selected card and displayed fee before approving. Keep live payment codes private; do not save one as an offline payment method.
After a small purchase, check the transaction record and confirm the merchant received it. Checking a balance or viewing a code is not a transaction test.

Why a linked card may still fail

The request may be a personal transfer rather than a supported merchant purchase. Ask for another checkout method.
Your issuer may decline the payment or ask for authentication. Check its alert and support instructions.
The account may need additional verification, or the transaction may exceed a displayed limit.
The connection may fail during checkout. Check whether payment completed before retrying.

Keep a backup that covers your route

Ask the hotel how it takes deposits; do not assume a successful snack purchase proves the deposit will work.
Bring a physical card and confirm a way to obtain RMB cash. Use ATM network logos and issuer guidance when planning withdrawals.
Work out your cash requirement from the actual journey and hotel policy; there is no single amount that fits every arrival.

Next step

Read the China Payment Setup guide for the full arrival payment sequence, or build the checklist to find gaps in your transport, hotel and phone preparations.