Mobile payment readiness
Everyone in China pays with their phone. You should too — but test it before you land, not when a cashier is waiting.
What to do
- 1
Download Alipay and/or WeChat Pay before you leave. Do it on good Wi-Fi, not airport internet.
- 2
Try linking your international card. It works for many Visa/Mastercard cards, but not all.
- 3
Complete any verification steps (ID, phone number, selfie) while you still have stable internet and your normal phone number.
- 4
Bring a backup card and ¥500–1000 in cash. If mobile pay fails, you still need to eat and get to your hotel.
Double-check before you rely on this
Your bank won't block overseas transactions (call them or enable it in the app).
You can open the wallet and see the payment screen — not just the download page.
You understand that what works for one person's card might not work for yours. Have a backup.