Jul 13, 2022, 8:15 am
Last edit by: moondog
The "FT People on WeChat" group
Our group chat is comprised of FT members and friends of FT members. We talk about pretty much anything except for politics (because Papa Bear has the ability to watch over us). The group has its own QR code, but it has a short shelf life (e.g. about 5 days), so I'm not including it here. The easiest way to join is to add me as a contact (moondogsh) and let me put you in the group.
Contacting Tencent Customer Support
If you want to get in touch with Tencent customer service (e.g. to update your passport number or change your name format so it aligns with your bank accounts), most web resources will advise you to simply message the "WeChat Team" contact. It is extremely difficult to get a human response when using this approach. Calling them also results in a bot experience.
However, the following drill works as of July 2022 (specific menu options can always change, of course; the key is getting yourself to step 5 below):
1. Dial 95716 (or +86 4009100100 from outside of China)
2. Select option 1 for personal accounts
3. Enter your connected phone number followed by #
3. Select option 2 for other questions
4. The bot will ask you to describe your issue using voice; just speak to it in English; it won't understand and will ask you to repeat 3-5 times before giving up
5. Now, the bot will give you ~8 menu options; through trial and error, I can state that option 7 is good for immediate transfer to a human (some of the others might work as well)
6. When the representative picks up, you definitely need to speak Chinese, but your request is presumably fairly easy to convey, and their responses are also pretty simple
7. They might want to move the conversation over to WeChat; this is okay because they will send you an invite to a special customer service queue, which is only ~60% automated
Our group chat is comprised of FT members and friends of FT members. We talk about pretty much anything except for politics (because Papa Bear has the ability to watch over us). The group has its own QR code, but it has a short shelf life (e.g. about 5 days), so I'm not including it here. The easiest way to join is to add me as a contact (moondogsh) and let me put you in the group.
Contacting Tencent Customer Support
If you want to get in touch with Tencent customer service (e.g. to update your passport number or change your name format so it aligns with your bank accounts), most web resources will advise you to simply message the "WeChat Team" contact. It is extremely difficult to get a human response when using this approach. Calling them also results in a bot experience.
However, the following drill works as of July 2022 (specific menu options can always change, of course; the key is getting yourself to step 5 below):
1. Dial 95716 (or +86 4009100100 from outside of China)
2. Select option 1 for personal accounts
3. Enter your connected phone number followed by #
3. Select option 2 for other questions
4. The bot will ask you to describe your issue using voice; just speak to it in English; it won't understand and will ask you to repeat 3-5 times before giving up
5. Now, the bot will give you ~8 menu options; through trial and error, I can state that option 7 is good for immediate transfer to a human (some of the others might work as well)
6. When the representative picks up, you definitely need to speak Chinese, but your request is presumably fairly easy to convey, and their responses are also pretty simple
7. They might want to move the conversation over to WeChat; this is okay because they will send you an invite to a special customer service queue, which is only ~60% automated
wechat（微信）
Sep 27, 2016, 8:13 am
#212
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: YVR
Programs: AC*SE MM, Marriott Titanium, National Executive
Posts: 1,586
Sep 27, 2016, 8:43 am
#213
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,015
Sep 27, 2016, 8:54 am
#214
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SIN (with a bit of ZRH sprinkled in)
Posts: 9,451
Sep 27, 2016, 8:43 pm
#215
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: IAH
Programs: Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist, DL Plat, UA Silver
Posts: 4,043
Oct 1, 2017, 8:07 pm
#217
Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: SPG Gold, IHG Plat, Marriott Silver, Hyatt Plat, *A Gold, AA Plat
Posts: 32
As of now you can add a foreign credit card to help with verification in WeChat But can’t really pay for anything using that card through WeChat. Through Alipay you can but there is the 3% charge they add on.
Nov 4, 2017, 2:22 am
#218
Join Date: Jul 2017
Programs: United 1K - Hilton Diamond
Posts: 8
Nov 24, 2017, 10:00 pm
#220
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: SFO
Programs: UA MM, SQ KrisFlyer, SPG/Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,231
OK, I tried using the Hongbao trick to set up wallet on my international edition WeChat app.
Found out that HSBC China debit cards are not participating. I called the bank while I was in Shanghai after I was unable to get it to register.
Meanwhile, back in San Francisco, ICBC USA has a branch down the street. Thinking of opening an account there. Would their ATM/Union Pay credit cards work with setting up wallet in China?
Found out that HSBC China debit cards are not participating. I called the bank while I was in Shanghai after I was unable to get it to register.
Meanwhile, back in San Francisco, ICBC USA has a branch down the street. Thinking of opening an account there. Would their ATM/Union Pay credit cards work with setting up wallet in China?
Last edited by abraxis; Nov 24, 2017 at 10:06 pm
Nov 24, 2017, 11:21 pm
#221
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,097
As discussed in another recent thread here, it's not entirely clear how Alipay and Wechat Wallet work for foreigners.
But both sites require "real-name" verification and both sites handle this by requiring that you link a Mainland bank account in a name that matches the name registered on the site. In the case of foreigners, only a small number of Mainland banks transmit passport numbers and romanized names for real-name verification.
I cannot imagine that an account at ICBC San Francisco would work for this purpose. U.S. branches of foreign banks are essentially U.S. banks, and are operated as such. They just aren't set up to transmit identifying information to Alipay and Wechat.
But both sites require "real-name" verification and both sites handle this by requiring that you link a Mainland bank account in a name that matches the name registered on the site. In the case of foreigners, only a small number of Mainland banks transmit passport numbers and romanized names for real-name verification.
I cannot imagine that an account at ICBC San Francisco would work for this purpose. U.S. branches of foreign banks are essentially U.S. banks, and are operated as such. They just aren't set up to transmit identifying information to Alipay and Wechat.
Last edited by 889; Nov 25, 2017 at 1:08 am
Nov 25, 2017, 5:26 pm
#222
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: SFO
Programs: UA MM, SQ KrisFlyer, SPG/Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,231
As discussed in another recent thread here, it's not entirely clear how Alipay and Wechat Wallet work for foreigners.
But both sites require "real-name" verification and both sites handle this by requiring that you link a Mainland bank account in a name that matches the name registered on the site. In the case of foreigners, only a small number of Mainland banks transmit passport numbers and romanized names for real-name verification.
I cannot imagine that an account at ICBC San Francisco would work for this purpose. U.S. branches of foreign banks are essentially U.S. banks, and are operated as such. They just aren't set up to transmit identifying information to Alipay and Wechat.
But both sites require "real-name" verification and both sites handle this by requiring that you link a Mainland bank account in a name that matches the name registered on the site. In the case of foreigners, only a small number of Mainland banks transmit passport numbers and romanized names for real-name verification.
I cannot imagine that an account at ICBC San Francisco would work for this purpose. U.S. branches of foreign banks are essentially U.S. banks, and are operated as such. They just aren't set up to transmit identifying information to Alipay and Wechat.
Dec 7, 2017, 12:13 am
#223
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 1
QQ has been popular for many years in China. But after wechat appears, most people, including the old people, begin to use wechat to chat everyday. actually speaking, i like qq more than wechat, but as most of my family and friends use wechat on the smartphone, so I have to use wechat to contact them or receive their message
Jan 23, 2018, 2:13 pm
#224
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,097
From today's Hong Kong Standard:
"Also yesterday, Tencent said foreigners living in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan can now connect to Weixin Pay through any international credit cards. This is the first time that people will not need to have a Chinese bank account or credit card to take advantage of the country's fast-growing cashless payment system that makes it easier to shop and pay for daily needs online."
Tencent shops for Carrefour deal - The Standard
Anyone tried this?
"Also yesterday, Tencent said foreigners living in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan can now connect to Weixin Pay through any international credit cards. This is the first time that people will not need to have a Chinese bank account or credit card to take advantage of the country's fast-growing cashless payment system that makes it easier to shop and pay for daily needs online."
Tencent shops for Carrefour deal - The Standard
Anyone tried this?
Jan 23, 2018, 5:48 pm
#225
Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: SPG Gold, IHG Plat, Marriott Silver, Hyatt Plat, *A Gold, AA Plat
Posts: 32
Able to use a lot more CC
You all know I like easy life. I love points to get fun free things. Today I noticed that WeChat allows more things for payment with your American credit card.
I paid my house phone
I paid my cellphone
I paid my gas bill
I paid for JD (Jin Dong online Ou through wechat)
Then it told me I had charged too many things to that card to try another on. So maybe tomorrow I can charge more stuff to it.
I added another visa card and made some more charges.
There is no 3% like Alipay has for CC purchases.
I was buying stuff I didn’t even need to just get points it is the American Way
I assume the airline tickets and other services that WeChat offers would also allow you to pay with credit card with no fee. So I will try this on the street and see if cannot with credit cards at stores.
You can’t transfer money to someone using a credit card I tried that.
I paid my house phone
I paid my cellphone
I paid my gas bill
I paid for JD (Jin Dong online Ou through wechat)
Then it told me I had charged too many things to that card to try another on. So maybe tomorrow I can charge more stuff to it.
I added another visa card and made some more charges.
There is no 3% like Alipay has for CC purchases.
I was buying stuff I didn’t even need to just get points it is the American Way
I assume the airline tickets and other services that WeChat offers would also allow you to pay with credit card with no fee. So I will try this on the street and see if cannot with credit cards at stores.
You can’t transfer money to someone using a credit card I tried that.