Paying for Things

Everything is a QR code

China skipped cards and went from cash straight to phones. Payment happens one of two ways: you scan a merchant's printed code and type the amount, or you show a code from your phone and they scan you. Market stalls, taxis, temples and vending machines all work this way.

Both major wallets do this. Open the app, tap Scan, point at the code. If a stallholder gestures at a laminated square taped to the counter, that is what they mean.

Look for the phrase 扫码支付 (sǎomǎ zhīfù) — scan to pay.

Setting up a wallet

Register with your home phone number, switch the interface to English, then add a card. Alipay has the more complete English translation and is generally the easier of the two for a visitor. WeChat's wallet is buried under Me › Services › Wallet.

A small temporary charge may appear on your statement while the card is verified. Complete passport verification as well — without it your spending limits are low and several services stay locked.

When your card is refused

It happens. The usual causes are a transaction above the fee threshold, a service that only accepts domestic cards, or your own bank blocking an unfamiliar merchant.

Try the other wallet first — a payment refused by one often goes through on the other. Alipay's prepaid TourPass works as a fallback you can top up in advance. Failing everything, cash is still legal tender and refusing it is technically illegal, though you may need to be patient while someone finds change.

Keep ¥200–300 in notes as insurance. You may finish the trip without spending it.