Payments
Can I use Alipay with a foreign card?
Last updated 2026-06-02
How to add a foreign card to Alipay
- Download Alipay from your home country's App Store or Play Store before you travel.
- Complete identity verification (you'll need your passport).
- Go to Me → Bank Cards → Add, and enter a foreign Visa or Mastercard.
- Do this on home Wi-Fi — setting it up once you're in China is much harder.
What to expect
Visa and Mastercard have the smoothest support; American Express works in fewer cases and Discover rarely. Expect a small foreign-transaction fee on each payment, and be ready for extra verification on larger single transactions (roughly over US$200).
Which foreign cards Alipay accepts, and the fees and limits, change from time to time. Treat this as current-but-not-guaranteed, and confirm your card type is still supported within 1–2 weeks of departure.
Set up WeChat Pay too, and keep a cash backup
- Some shops accept only one wallet, so add a card to WeChat Pay as well.
- Carry about 500 RMB cash and one ATM-capable card for the rare place a foreign-card wallet won't work, or if a link fails.
Your next step
Next: get your payment setup sorted
Five quick questions and the Payment Setup Checker gives you a recommended path, a backup, and what to test before you fly. Save it to your Arrival Plan when it helps.
Open the Payment Setup CheckerKeep reading
Related questions
Planning the whole trip?
Build your China Arrival Plan.
Start with your first city, then save payment, internet, arrival, and final-check recommendations into one return link.
Payment-app support, visa rules, and connectivity change. Verify time-sensitive items with official sources before departure.