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Hard but essential · ~15 min each

Set up Alipay & WeChat Pay

This is the one thing that makes or breaks day one. Both apps now take a foreign Visa/Mastercard — but set them up at home, because the app stores and verification are painful behind the Firewall. Do Alipay first; it's the smoother of the two.

What you need

  • Your passport
  • A Visa / Mastercard / JCB — the name must match your passport exactly
  • Your home phone number, to receive SMS codes
  • Wi-Fi and ~15 minutes — do this before you fly

Alipay

  1. 1

    Download & register

    Install Alipay from your app store and register with your home mobile number (not a Chinese one). Enter the SMS code it texts you.

  2. 2

    Set your region to your home country

    When asked for your country/region, pick your real home country.

    Watch out Some screens lock this in — choosing China here causes problems later.

  3. 3

    Add your card

    Open the Cards section and add your Visa / Mastercard / JCB. The cardholder name must match your passport exactly.

    MeBank CardsAddEnter card
  4. 4

    Pass real-name verification with your passport

    Upload a photo of your passport ID page: flat, bright, no glare, and the two lines of code along the bottom (the MRZ strip) fully readable.

    MeSettingsIdentity / Real-namePassport

    Tip A blurry or cut-off MRZ is the #1 reason verification fails — retake it in natural light.

  5. 5

    Test a small payment

    Scan any merchant QR and pay ¥1–2 to confirm it works before you rely on it on the street.

WeChat Pay

  1. 1

    Download & register

    Install WeChat and register with your home number + the SMS code.

  2. 2

    Friend verification (if asked)

    WeChat may require a friend whose account is 6+ months old (and who hasn't vouched for anyone recently) to scan your QR code to activate the account.

    Watch out This is the single biggest blocker. Line up a contact before you travel — and if you know no one in China, lead with Alipay, which almost never asks for this.

  3. 3

    Link your card in Wallet

    Open Wallet, add a card, and enter your Visa/Mastercard. Choose your home country as the card region.

    MeServicesWalletCardsAdd

    Watch out You can't change the region later — a wrong choice means calling WeChat support on 95017.

  4. 4

    Real-name verification

    Open Real-Name Verification, choose Passport, pick your issuing country, and upload the ID page (flat, bright, MRZ readable).

    MeServicesWalletReal-Name VerificationPassport
  5. 5

    Test a small payment

    Pay a tiny amount at any QR to confirm everything is live.

When it goes wrong

Common problems

My card keeps getting rejected.

Usually it's your own bank's anti-fraud hold on an unfamiliar Chinese merchant, not the app. Call your bank to authorize spending in China and retry. American Express is the most likely to bounce — keep a Visa or Mastercard as your primary.

What are the limits and fees?

Roughly ¥5,000–6,500 per payment and about ¥50,000 a year on a foreign card (WeChat is ~¥50,000/month, ¥65,000/year). Payments under ¥200 are usually fee-free; above that an ~3% fee can apply, and your own bank may add a foreign-transaction fee.

Do I need the Alipay TourPass wallet?

Not for most people — linking your card directly gives higher limits. TourPass is a prepaid top-up wallet (caps around ¥2,000, expires ~90 days), only worth it if your card simply won't link.

It still won't verify.

Almost every failure is the passport photo (MRZ unreadable) or a name mismatch between your card and passport. Fix those two first, then retry on a stable Wi-Fi connection.

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Checked June 2026. A planning aid, not official advice — rules and app flows change, so confirm anything critical before you rely on it.