When a payment fails
If it fails now
If a payment doesn’t go through, switch to another way to pay: the other wallet, TenPayGo, a physical card, or cash. Set these up before you fly.
- If one doesn’t work, try the other: Alipay or WeChat Pay.
- At merchants that take WeChat Pay, TenPayGo can be a backup. It doesn’t replace WeChat Pay or Alipay.
- Carry a physical Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay card. Visa and Mastercard work where the logo shows. See Cards and cash.
- Carry some small-denomination RMB cash. RMB cash is legal tender. See Cards and cash.
Before you fly
- Before you go, bind a real international card in both Alipay and WeChat Pay. Some merchants accept only one wallet.
- WeChat may ask you to upload your passport when you add a card. With only an international card, red packets and transfers don’t work. Everyday payments are fine.
- Carry some small-denomination RMB cash.
Good to know
Check fees and limits in the app. Read the confirmation screen before you pay.
In Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen (trial) and Chengdu, you can tap an overseas contactless Visa or Mastercard at marked gates. It is not nationwide, and some cards may not work. Otherwise use the Alipay or WeChat ride code, or buy a single-journey ticket or pay cash. See Metro and bus.
Payment rules and fees can change. Check the app before you pay.
Law of the PRC on the People’s Bank of China, Article 16 (PBC) ·
Q Checked replies land here after they are sourced.
A The site keeps the useful ones. Unchecked reports stay off the page.