Originally Posted by
hlee628
That's really helpful info. I haven't traveled to the mainland since the pandemic, and pre-pandemic I was always begging my local friends to top up my balances in exchange for cash to be able to pay digitally. If I understand you correctly it seems like I can use both Wechat and Alipay QR payments for merchants, charged directly to my foreign card, but can't hold a cash balance in my account?
Once you have accounts set up, anyone (e.g. me) can transfer cash to you with minimal effort. But, as I mentioned previously, WeChat really wants a local bank account that aligns with your passport first. This seems like a silly requirement to me, but we're only talking about 45 minutes of your time. I don't think Alipay is quite as strict, but I will reiterate that after you're in the clear with WeChat, you can use your own credit card to support most transaction (e.g. even buying fruit).
See here (particularly recent posts):
Opinion: without Alipay and Wechat Pay, you are screwed in Shanghai