Here’s a step-by-step guide to setting up Alipay and WeChat Pay without a China bank account or credit card. Yes, tourists can now link their international credit cards to these mobile payment apps. Thankfully, both Alipay and WeChat Pay have since opened up the payment function beyond the Chinese market. ![]() And to have either of these, you’ll need to be a Chinese citizen or a resident with a valid residential address in China. To activate the payment function on Alipay or WeChat’s mobile app, you’ll first need to have either a China bank account or a Chinese bank-issued credit card. I’m all for societies moving towards being cashless for convenience and efficiency, but ironically, it’s quite the opposite if you’re a tourist in China. Diners can scan a QR code that leads to the order sheet, and then scan another QR code to settle the bill. Seen in China: A tableful of food with a table full of QR codes for easy payment. While some of the most advanced cities we know - New York, London, Tokyo, Seoul and even Singapore - struggle with integrating cashless payments into their communities, it’s almost incomprehensible how fast China has progressed on this front. Some retailers even stopped accepting cash entirely. ![]() Most merchants, especially smaller businesses, don’t accept international credit cards. Here’s how to make life easier on your next trip to China.Īfter not visiting China for more than a decade, my most recent trip there got me stumped - I wasn’t ready for how cashless China has become. Mobile payment apps like WeChat Pay and Alipay are becoming essential.
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