Travel Like a Local: How To Use Alipay In China vs WeChat Pay

Travel like a local in China with this guide on how to use Alipay and why I think it beats WeChat Pay. Learn how to set up an Alipay account for foreigners and use it for seamless transactions in China.

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[jamesl]

I was in Shanghai in May 2023 for the first time in 7 years. I had this shock. The first lunch in a restaurant they were shocked to see my cash. But I had the correct amount and they accepted it. After that I always asked people if they would accept cash. I was there 5 days and didn’t have a major problem. I heard that they are required to accept cash because some people (older people for example) might not even have a smart phone. I’m thinking about going back in November and so I’m watching this video. I’ll be better prepared

[jupplut]

I travel to China in many different cities I have no problem paying with cash or RMB, in small store it better to have small change like 1, 5, 10, 20 Yuan, but in convenient stores like Seven Eleven store they will gave change for 100 RMB. As Chinese ATM will give 100 s RMB for my Visa Debit. In this week I travel in China I have also Alipay still in process of gating use to it.

[ralfblumenschein]

Thanks for telling us what AliPay is and how to install it. Is there another video how to use it in China ? I expected that after reading the title

[daveinchina]

Alipay and WeChat pay will not work outside china unless you have a local bank card, but they will work inside China

[abdulmuhsenalhmoud]

I haven't land in china yet but just in case, I opened the application and when I chose pay . sorry, overseas payment is available to verified users from china mainland only, what's the case here

[yanglinluo]

Finally a kiwi 😊, I am heading to china next year, I got my ANZ credit cardinked to Alipay, ID certification done. Am I good to go? Do I need data in China to use Alipay? My phone is too old to use esim

[nickyrankine]

Hello! Thanks for the information. Can I check if you need to have your name verified in order to make small payments? It seems a China bank card is needed :/

[Muggel]

Hi, I'm in Shanghai soon. Do I have to be online all the time to be able to use it? I don't have a simcard there and I don't want to do roaming!

[gskylexkk]

After you add your debit/credit card details to Alipay, can you delete the card details later if you no longer need to use Alipay ? Same question for didi, can you delete the card detail later if no longer need when coming back home? Thanks

[Wunderpus-photogenicus]

Question: If I added a binding of credit card to Alipay, then, purchases with Alipay in China is just like using my credit card back in the US, am I right?

Will the purchases with my Alipay in China show up on the same credit statement we see in the US, in US$ and not in RMB? According to your experience, do banks/credit cards deliberately used exchange rates favorable to themselves?

[saeedabdullah]

تعليق الناس في المقع كلهم يقولون سيء احذروا منهم

[fletcherbrown]

Very Confusing: You show to register you need to enter your phone number but then you show an +86 (China) phone number. Can you use a US or foreign phone number? If so, will it stop working once you get to China and get a China sim card with a Chinese phone number? Or are you saying that to register Alipay you need to go to Ch9na first and then register once you have a Chinese sim card? Very confusing.

[romelpalmes]

Hi mate can you use Debit MasterCard to link with Alipay or do you need an actual credit card?

[DR-bymd]

What about the Alipay tour card….which is a cash card through a virtual Shanghai bank.

[gaziashfaq]

Cam you register alipay with overseas number and use it in china?

[nik.]

"Add your phone number"? Can you be specific? Can I use my US phone number OR, I need a SIM with a Chinese number.
Can I use an eSim? So goddam complicated, with only bits and pieces on each video.

[jannarkiewicz]

I would never return to China. Too dang scary. Then again, I'm in the Philippines. China ain't our BFF. We have the same issue here with GCash and Maya. Our IDs cannot be registered so we all let our spouses/girlfriends handle the payments when required (Internet, water, electricity, rideshare, etc.)

[CTP]

I am very disappointed that you did tell us how to install Alipay step by step.