Originally Posted by
reuvenh
Do taxis in Beijing take credit cards?
No. Despite the plethora of Visa and Mastercard signs, foreign credit cards have acceptance largely limited to upper end hotels and restaurants. Shops that accept foreign credit cards tend to be those you shouldn't be shopping in (because they are tourist-targeting and overpriced).
This is mainly a cash economy, and you'll find yourself often paying even for air tickets in cash.
You may pay for taxis using a card called an yikatong, which is a stored value public transport pass mainly used on the metro and buses (and very convenient), but taxi drivers still prefer cash.