Money & Payments in China — Alipay, WeChat Pay & TenPayGo for Foreigners

1. Meet the three tools

WeChat Pay (微信支付)

From Tencent, embedded in WeChat — it lives inside chat: transfers, red packets and group collections happen in conversations. For travellers:

Widest small-vendor reach: street stalls and temple donation boxes often show only a WeChat QR;
Mini-program ecosystem: many attraction bookings and scan-to-order menus exist only in WeChat — install WeChat even if you pay with Alipay;
Slightly steeper setup: WeChat registration needs verification; English coverage is thinner; the wallet sits deeper in menus.

Alipay (支付宝)

From Ant Group, born as e-commerce escrow, now a life-services super-app: beyond paying it bundles ride-hailing, food delivery, attraction tickets, hotels, train tickets, shared bikes and city transit codes. For foreign travellers:

International UI: English and other languages, register with an overseas number or email — no Chinese number needed;
One-stop: pre-booking + paying + city transport in one app;
FX built in: live exchange rates, charged in your home currency.

TenPayGo (Tencent's tourist app, in pilot)

A standalone payment app Tencent has been piloting since late 2025 for international visitors, already on the App Store. Its headline: the lowest possible barrier — no WeChat registration, no Chinese phone number; bind a foreign payment method and pay anywhere WeChat Pay is accepted. See the dedicated section below.

Choosing between them:

Dimension	WeChat Pay	Alipay	TenPayGo
Form	Feature inside WeChat	Standalone app (English UI)	Standalone lightweight app
Setup barrier	Must register WeChat first	Overseas phone/email + passport ID	No WeChat, no CN number (lowest)
Merchant network	WeChat Pay merchants	Alipay merchants	Rides on the WeChat Pay network
City transit codes	✅ Ride codes	✅ “Transport”	Rolling out — see app
Extras	Mini-programs (booking/ordering)	DiDi/tickets/trains/rental	“Virtual travel assistant” positioning
Maturity	Very mature	Very mature	Pilot stage, evolving
Our call	Essential backup	Primary	Light alternative

✓ The golden comboWeChat Pay (mini-programs + small vendors) + Alipay (main paying + transit + booking) + a little cash. They coexist fine; both payment codes live one tap from the home screen.

⚠ International cards cover most — but not 100% — of situationsOnce your overseas credit card is bound, WeChat Pay / Alipay can settle the vast majority of everyday spending in China directly on that card. But a small minority of situations reject foreign cards — most typically the personal QR codes displayed by some street stalls and family-run stalls (personal transfer codes that only work with domestic cards or wallet balance — nothing wrong with your card). When it happens, don't fight it: pay a little cash, ask for the vendor's business QR code, or have a neighbouring shop that can pay take the charge and transfer it back.
Want to put your own card to the test before you fly? Tap the button for a real ¥1 WeChat personal QR code — pay it with WeChat Pay (international card bound) or TenPayGo; if it goes through, you're set for virtually everything:

2. Install & bind a card

WeChat Pay and Alipay both accept Visa / Mastercard / JCB / AmEx / Discover international credit cards (some debit cards too). Install, bind and test a small payment at home — land ready.

WeChat Pay (~15 minutes)

Register: install WeChat with your overseas number (may need a friend's assist or a few hours' wait);
English UI (optional): Me → Settings → General → Language;
Bind: Me → “Services” → “Wallet” → “Cards” → “Add a Card” → card details + 3D verification;
Payment code: “+” (top right) → “Money Transfer” → show your QR, or scan the merchant's;
Transit: Services → Transport (city-dependent).

Alipay (~10 minutes)

Download: search “Alipay” on the App Store / Google Play (the main app supports international users);
Register: pick your country code (+1/+44/+81…) or email;
ID verification: photograph your passport photo page + face scan (mandatory for foreigners, once);
Bind: Me → “Bank Cards” → “+” → card number, expiry, CVC → complete 3D verification (bank app or SMS);
Set default: make the international card your default payment method (or the QR may complain);
Transit codes: home “Transport” → pick your city → activate metro/bus QR;
Test: pay ¥1 anywhere (or unlock a shared bike).

⚠ If binding fails① Confirm your bank allows cross-border card-not-present payments (call before departure — sudden foreign charges trigger fraud locks); ② 3D SMS not arriving → switch Wi-Fi/data and retry; ③ "Card not supported" → try another network (Visa/Mastercard safest); ④ one card can bind both apps simultaneously.

Fees & limits (per in-app notices): payments ≤ ¥200 are fee-free; above that ≈3% currency conversion (some cards/promos waived). Bound international cards typically cap at ¥5,000–6,000 per transaction with annual ceilings — ample for travel; for big purchases keep a POS-friendly card or cash.

4. TenPayGo, hands-on

What it is: Tencent's standalone pilot payment app for international visitors — it connects your foreign payment method to the WeChat Pay merchant network: anywhere a WeChat QR works, TenPayGo pays, without registering WeChat or holding a Chinese number.

Who it suits: travellers who'd rather not register WeChat, short stays, "install one thing and pay" minimalists, or phones short on space;
Get it: search “TenPayGo” on the Apple App Store (Android channels rolling out);
Positioning: Tencent calls it a “virtual travel assistant” — payments plus transport, shopping and dining services, expanding through the pilot;
Caveat: still pilot-stage — fees, limits, card coverage and transit depend on the in-app small print; never make it your only method;
Relation to WeChat Pay: TenPayGo is the lightweight front door to the same network; they coexist — daily life on Alipay/WeChat, TenPayGo as the low-friction spare.

ℹ The safe stackPrimary: Alipay (international card). Backup: WeChat Pay. Spare/taster: TenPayGo. Floor: ¥300–500 cash. Four layers, zero panic.

5. Does cash still matter?

Importance: ★☆☆☆☆. Bottom line: in China cash is genuinely inconvenient and rarely needed — merchants default to QR codes, many small shops can't make change, and some chains are reluctant to take notes at all. Don't stock up on cash out of fear; carry ¥300–500 equivalent as a floor for:

stalls showing only a personal QR code your foreign card can't pay (see section 1);
village buses, temple donation boxes and other rare corners;
a dead phone or a payment that simply fails.

Exchanging: a little before departure; more in China with your passport at bank branches or hotel front desks — Bank of China branches handle FX most universally; airport counters are worse but fine for emergencies. ATMs marked Visa/Plus or Mastercard/Cirrus are everywhere (bank-attached machines are most reliable); fees depend on your issuer.

✓ Call your bank before departureTell them your destination and dates so "sudden foreign charge" fraud locks don't strand you — the classic payment faceplant of international travel. Also confirm the card allows cross-border card-not-present use (needed for binding).

6. Paying by scenario

Scenario	Best method	Notes
Metro/bus	Alipay/WeChat “Transport” QR	Most cities interoperable; Beijing Yitongxing, Shanghai Metro Dadu Hui as alternates
Ride-hailing	DiDi app (international cards)	Cash in-car also possible
Taxis	QR, keep cash spare	Insist on the meter
Chains / malls	QR or foreign-card POS	Large merchants take cards widely
Street food / markets	QR (rare personal codes are CN-cards-only) or cash	Business QR codes take foreign cards; personal transfer codes don't — use cash there
Train tickets	12306 app/site (international cards)	Passport-based real-name ticketing
Attractions	Official WeChat mini-programs	Book real-name slots early for hot sites

⚠ "Card not supported" momentsA shrinking minority of POS terminals take domestic cards only. Fixes: ① have them scan your payment code (routes through the international-card channel); ② cash; ③ a neighbouring shop pays and you transfer them back; ④ a stall's personal QR code rejects foreign cards by design — not your card's fault; cash settles it. No drama — it's rare now.

7. Tipping, refunds & budgets

Tipping: not a thing in China. Fine dining adds 10–15% service on the bill; bellhops and guides appreciate but don't expect;
Departure tax refund: spend ¥500+ at one tax-refund store in a day → ≈9% back at departure. Keep invoices and refund forms; Hainan runs its own offshore-duty-free system;
Daily budget (pp): backpacker ¥300–500 (hostel, local food, transit) | comfortable ¥600–1,000 (3–4★, special meals, taxis) | premium ¥1,500+ (5★, curated experiences). Tier-1 cities +30%.

8. Payment safety

Payments sit behind passcode/biometrics — guard the phone, not the wallet;
Never screenshot or forward your payment code — it IS money;
Treat "scan for a free gift" booths with suspicion (data harvesting);
Keep card SMS alerts on; freeze at the first anomaly.