Alipay
China's essential payment and daily services app.
Setup
15-30 minutes
Cards
Partial
English
Partial
Purpose
What this app is for
- Pay in shops, restaurants, taxis, and local services.
- Access mini programs for transport, bills, travel, and city services.
- Create a practical payment backup when cash or foreign cards are inconvenient.
Setup process
Setup, verification, payment, and fallback paths arranged as a quick process map.
Passport
Card
Payment code
Setup
Setup steps
- Install the official Alipay app.
- Register with a phone number you can access.
- Add identity information using passport details.
- Link a supported foreign card.
- Test payment in a low-pressure situation.
Daily use
Common use cases
- Scanning merchant QR codes.
- Showing your payment code at counters.
- Using mini programs for transport or local services.
- Paying for restaurant, delivery, and travel-related tasks.
Troubleshooting
Common problems
- Foreign card support may vary by card network, bank, and merchant.
- Some mini programs may still require a Chinese phone number or local payment method.
- Verification prompts can change as the app updates.
Related guides
Practical tasks that use Alipay
How to Set Up Alipay as a Foreigner in China
Set up Alipay with a foreign phone number, passport, and international bank card so you can pay by QR code in China.
How to Use WeChat Pay with a Foreign Bank Card
Set up WeChat Pay with a passport and foreign bank card, then use QR payments in shops, taxis, restaurants, and mini programs.
How to Register WeChat as a Foreigner
Register WeChat with a foreign phone number, handle SMS or friend verification, and avoid early account security problems.
How to Set Up Amap in China as a Foreigner
Set up Amap, also called Gaode Maps, so you can search Chinese addresses, navigate metro/walking routes, save places, and use local map data in China.
How to Get a SIM Card in China as a Foreigner
Choose between a local SIM, eSIM, and roaming, register with your passport if you need a Chinese number, and test data and SMS before leaving the store.
How to Take a Taxi or Ride-Hailing Car in China
Call a car with DiDi, Amap, hotel help, or a street taxi, then manage pickup, destination, payment, and safety checks.
How to Use the Metro in China
Ride Chinese metros with Alipay Transport, local metro apps, ticket machines, security checks, transfers, and the correct exit.
How to Set Up 12306 as a Foreigner
Install China Railway 12306, prepare passport identity details, and understand when to use 12306 versus Trip.com.
How to Buy High-Speed Train Tickets in China
Use 12306 or a foreigner-friendly platform, enter passport details correctly, choose the right station, and board with confidence.
How to Book a Hotel in China as a Foreigner
Choose a hotel that can host foreign guests, confirm passport registration, and prepare check-in details.
How Hotel Check-In Works for Foreigners in China
Prepare for passport registration, foreign guest acceptance, deposits, and arrival timing.
How to Order Food Delivery in China
Prepare your address, phone, payment, and delivery handoff flow before ordering meals.
How to Shop Online in China with Taobao and JD
Use Taobao and JD to buy everyday items, enter a Chinese address, pay, track orders, and receive parcels.
How to Receive Parcels and Deliveries in China
Understand Chinese addresses, courier calls, pickup cabinets, and delivery handoff points.
How to Visit a Hospital in China as a Foreigner
Choose between international clinics and public hospitals, register with a passport, manage step-by-step payments, and collect the right medicine, results, and insurance documents.
How to Use China 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit
Check whether your nationality, route, onward ticket, entry port, stay area, and timing qualify for China's 240-hour visa-free transit policy.
First 72 Hours in China: Practical Setup Checklist
A focused checklist for payments, phone access, transport, hotel basics, food, and emergency backups.
First-Time China Travel Checklist
Plan first-time routes, city choices, seasons, budgets, entry basics, and pre-trip preparation.
First-Time China Travel Checklist
A practical pre-trip checklist for first-time visitors covering documents, payments, connectivity, maps, hotels, transport, and backups.
How to Pay in China as a Foreigner
Set up and use Alipay, WeChat Pay, cards, and cash backup.
How to Pay in China as a Foreigner
Understand Alipay, WeChat Pay, foreign cards, cash backup, QR payments, and common payment failures before relying on one method.
China Internet Access Guide: eSIM, Roaming, VPN and Apps
Get online with SIM cards, eSIMs, roaming, and Wi-Fi.
China Internet Access Guide: eSIM, Roaming, VPN and Apps
Prepare phone data and internet access options for China, including roaming, eSIM, local SIM, hotel Wi-Fi, app access, and work VPN considerations.
Best First-Time China Itinerary: Cities, Routes and Timing
Plan first-time routes, city choices, seasons, budgets, entry basics, and pre-trip preparation.
Best First-Time China Itinerary: Cities, Routes and Timing
Plan a realistic first China route by choosing cities, travel pace, transport links, seasons, and daily setup time.
Chinese Culture and Etiquette Basics for First-Time Visitors
Understand local customs, everyday QR codes, dining etiquette, phrases, and common misunderstandings.
Chinese Culture and Etiquette Basics for First-Time Visitors
Understand everyday customs, dining etiquette, QR codes, personal space, useful phrases, and common misunderstandings for a smoother first China trip.
How to Fix Alipay / WeChat Pay Fails
Troubleshoot Alipay and WeChat Pay failures in China by checking bank blocks, VPN or SMS issues, merchant QR support, amount limits, fees, and backup payment options.
How Much Cash to Carry in China
A practical cash backup strategy for foreigners in China: how much RMB to carry, where to get cash, when cash helps, and when mobile payment is still essential.
How to Get Internet in China
Choose the right China internet setup for your trip: travel eSIM, roaming, local SIM, VPN, hotel Wi-Fi, and backup access before arrival.
How to Choose China eSIM / VPN / SIM
A practical decision guide for choosing a China travel eSIM, VPN, local SIM, roaming, or combined setup based on your trip and app needs.
How to Board High-Speed Trains in China
A station walkthrough for foreigners after buying China high-speed train tickets: arrival time, passport entry, security, gates, platforms, seats, luggage, toilets, and transfers.
How to Order Food in Restaurants in China
Use QR-code restaurant menus, translate Chinese dishes, customize orders, pay with WeChat Pay or Alipay, and ask staff for help when the mini program is confusing.
How to Book Attraction Tickets in China
Book China attraction tickets as a foreigner using Trip.com, Klook, official websites, WeChat official accounts or mini programs, ticket windows, hotel help, and passport-based real-name entry.
How to Buy Medicine in China
Find pharmacies, ask for common over-the-counter medicines by generic name, understand prescription routes, use online pharmacy delivery safely, and know when to go to a hospital in China.
What to Do If You Lose Your Passport in China
A calm emergency checklist for foreigners who lose a passport in China: search first, report the loss, contact your embassy, replace the document, fix your China stay or exit record, and avoid travel problems.
How to Use Public Toilets and Squat Toilets in China
A no-shame practical guide to finding cleaner public toilets in China, reading restroom signs, using squat toilets safely, carrying the right supplies, and knowing when to look for a better option.
How to Use Shared Bikes in China
Unlock and return shared bikes in China using Alipay, WeChat, Meituan, HelloBike, or DiDi Qingju, with practical help for foreigners using passports, foreign cards, Chinese phone numbers, parking zones, and failed returns.
How to Use Shared Power Banks in China
Rent and return shared power banks in China using Alipay or WeChat, avoid failed returns and surprise fees, and know what to do when your phone is nearly dead.
What to Eat in China by City
A city-by-city Chinese food guide for foreigners: what to eat in Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai, plus ordering strategy, spice warnings, and backup meals.
How to Eat in China With Dietary Restrictions
Practical China dining guide for vegetarians, vegans, halal travelers, non-spicy eaters, and travelers with allergies, including Chinese phrases and hidden ingredient warnings.
Useful Chinese Phrases for Travelers in China
A practical China travel phrasebook for payment, taxis, hotels, restaurants, toilets, allergies, and emergencies, designed for foreigners who need useful Chinese fast.
How to Communicate in China Without Speaking Mandarin
Set up a practical communication system for China travel using translation apps, camera translation, WeChat translation, screenshots, phrase cards, and confirmation habits.
First-Time China Itinerary: 7, 10, 14, or 21 Days
Choose a realistic first-time China itinerary for 7, 10, 14, or 21 days, with route options, pacing rules, who each route fits, and what to cut when the plan is too rushed.
Best 2-Week China Itinerary for First-Time Visitors
A balanced 14-day China itinerary for first-time visitors: Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu or Guilin, and Shanghai, with pacing checks, travel-day advice, and extension choices.
Best Time to Visit China: Month-by-Month Guide
Month-by-month guide to the best time to visit China by region, weather, crowds, holidays, route type, and packing needs.