Jun 7, 23, 11:09 am
Last edit by: gudugan
China has largely moved to a cashless system with two widely accepted payment apps, AliPay and WeChat Pay. Both require extensive identity verification. Assuming you do not live in China (i.e. you are visiting for tourism/short term business, do NOT have a residence permit):
If you are coming for multiple visits:
Go to a China Mobile or China Unicom store and get a cell phone number (estimated time 2.5 hours). Ideally go to the largest branch with most representatives as they will have the best chance of figuring it out. All you need is your passport and cash to pay the initial deposit (I brought Y200). Tourist visa is fine. You want to open this in the area that you will spend the most time in, as they may give you data locked to your province. I am paying Y40 for 12GB data (you need to keep the plan active in some form, even when you are outside of China). More details in https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/35217727-post24.html
If you are coming for a one time visit (maximum 10,000 CNY in 180 day period). This method is not currently recommended as the fees are higher than the above method and ID verification is still required.
Currently it is not recommended to open a bank account.
If you are coming for multiple visits:
- July 2023 update: A phone number does not seem to be required any more.
- [Optional but recommended] Open a new AliPay account (even if you have an existing one) because your old one could be in a weird state.
- Verify your passport with AliPay. If you have one, use your Chinese (+86) phone number over a foreign phone number. Many apps act differently if you use foreign phone numbers.
- Your account should be fully active and you can have a friend top up your balance on AliPay and pay with the balance.
- Add a Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club or Discover card to your account. For small purchases you can pay with your foreign credit card with no fee. A purchase of Y271 triggered a 3% fee.
Go to a China Mobile or China Unicom store and get a cell phone number (estimated time 2.5 hours). Ideally go to the largest branch with most representatives as they will have the best chance of figuring it out. All you need is your passport and cash to pay the initial deposit (I brought Y200). Tourist visa is fine. You want to open this in the area that you will spend the most time in, as they may give you data locked to your province. I am paying Y40 for 12GB data (you need to keep the plan active in some form, even when you are outside of China). More details in https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/35217727-post24.html
If you are coming for a one time visit (maximum 10,000 CNY in 180 day period). This method is not currently recommended as the fees are higher than the above method and ID verification is still required.
- Download AliPay from the App Store
- In the search box at the top, type "TourCard"
- Verify your information and load money onto it. You will be charged a 5% fee for adding money. If the money is not used fully after 180 days, it will be refunded to your card. The current limit is 10,000 CNY. If you want to top up more than that, you can cancel the card after it expires and reopen a new card. The remaining amount of chargeable balance (max 10,000 CNY) will not be reset if you apply for a refund. My understanding is that since this is linked to your passport, if you need more than 10,000 CNY, you have to use another solution. Restrictions: You cannot transfer money to another account. Does not support wealth management, red envelope, etc.
Currently it is not recommended to open a bank account.
Opinion: without Alipay and Wechat Pay, you are screwed in Shanghai
Aug 18, 23, 7:53 am
#676
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: FQTR CX FTQS JL FQTV TBD
Posts: 19,204
Going to echo that despite getting AlipayHK to work, many attractions and even some transport modes (eg. Gulangyu ferry in Xiamen) now require advanced booking on the WeChat mini-app. Some guards are kind enough to help register for you if you ask and tell them you are a foreigner and don't have WeChat, while others still have an information counter where you manually sign in.
i) to realise that non-Wechat users do actually still exist in this world and have not been wiped out by Corona and/or internal insurrection, despite where the Work Department want them to believe; and
ii) become a policy imperative for pursuing again.
Aug 18, 23, 10:01 am
#677
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: PVG
Programs: MU Platinum, HH Diamond
Posts: 744
Had to go buy an Apple accessory at the IAPM Apple store in Shanghai today. Normally I'd never do this but there were exigent circumstances, let's just say.
Tried 3 times, but they could not accept Apple Pay, which was backed up by an Apple Credit Card, on an iPhone. Had to pay with Wechat.
Serious decoupling going on.
I will say though that Apple Pay was accepted at a dive bar called the Shed in Shanghai, so this is on the Apple store. Shame on you, Apple.
Tried 3 times, but they could not accept Apple Pay, which was backed up by an Apple Credit Card, on an iPhone. Had to pay with Wechat.
Serious decoupling going on.
I will say though that Apple Pay was accepted at a dive bar called the Shed in Shanghai, so this is on the Apple store. Shame on you, Apple.
Aug 18, 23, 12:13 pm
#678
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 40,686
I realize the Shed is way off topic, but their 老外街 location is actually kind of clean... borderline family oriented, even. My wing boycott remains in place, though.
Aug 18, 23, 6:23 pm
#679
Join Date: Aug 2023
Posts: 8
Might take some time for them:
i) to realise that non-Wechat users do actually still exist in this world and have not been wiped out by Corona and/or internal insurrection, despite where the Work Department want them to believe; and
ii) become a policy imperative for pursuing again.
i) to realise that non-Wechat users do actually still exist in this world and have not been wiped out by Corona and/or internal insurrection, despite where the Work Department want them to believe; and
ii) become a policy imperative for pursuing again.
There are hardly any westerners in China now. At tourist attractions with tens of thousands of people, I have yet to see a non-Chinese face.
Aug 18, 23, 6:28 pm
#680
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL, OZ, AC, AS, AA, BA, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 18,583
In their defense, setting up a new WeChat and binding a VISA wasnt difficult. It also worked well with all shops. Assuming nothing changes, its simply a mandatory step for tourists and visitors. You do need to have a Chinese WeChat friend verify your existence by scanning a QR code, but the hotel concierge obliged.
There are hardly any westerners in China now. At tourist attractions with tens of thousands of people, I have yet to see a non-Chinese face.
There are hardly any westerners in China now. At tourist attractions with tens of thousands of people, I have yet to see a non-Chinese face.
Aug 18, 23, 10:24 pm
#682
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: HKG
Posts: 1,251
Had to go buy an Apple accessory at the IAPM Apple store in Shanghai today. Normally I'd never do this but there were exigent circumstances, let's just say.
Tried 3 times, but they could not accept Apple Pay, which was backed up by an Apple Credit Card, on an iPhone. Had to pay with Wechat.
Serious decoupling going on.
I will say though that Apple Pay was accepted at a dive bar called the Shed in Shanghai, so this is on the Apple store. Shame on you, Apple.
Tried 3 times, but they could not accept Apple Pay, which was backed up by an Apple Credit Card, on an iPhone. Had to pay with Wechat.
Serious decoupling going on.
I will say though that Apple Pay was accepted at a dive bar called the Shed in Shanghai, so this is on the Apple store. Shame on you, Apple.
Aug 18, 23, 10:36 pm
#683
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: PVG
Programs: MU Platinum, HH Diamond
Posts: 744
Apple Pay is not a payment method per se. It depends on the underlying card. So it could be MasterCard/VISA/Amex or UnionPay. As we all know the acceptance of these are highly divergent in China. Now if your underlying card was a UnionPay card issued in China and the Apple Store didn't accept it that would be surprising.
Aug 19, 23, 3:00 am
#684
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SIN (with a bit of ZRH sprinkled in)
Posts: 9,342
I've tried to use my WeChat Pay cash vault in Singapore (they've nowadays plenty of vending machines which let you scan a QR code to dispose a soft drink) - zero chance, even abroad. To use the cash vault, I mean.
Now I can bind WeChat Pay to a foreign CC (Used DBS Visa), but then it will get charged in SGD directly, not touching the RMB still in the WeChat Pay vault. Meh.. luckily it's not that much (440'ish Yuan), but it still sucks.
Now I can bind WeChat Pay to a foreign CC (Used DBS Visa), but then it will get charged in SGD directly, not touching the RMB still in the WeChat Pay vault. Meh.. luckily it's not that much (440'ish Yuan), but it still sucks.
Aug 19, 23, 4:38 am
#685
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 40,686
I've tried to use my WeChat Pay cash vault in Singapore (they've nowadays plenty of vending machines which let you scan a QR code to dispose a soft drink) - zero chance, even abroad. To use the cash vault, I mean.
Now I can bind WeChat Pay to a foreign CC (Used DBS Visa), but then it will get charged in SGD directly, not touching the RMB still in the WeChat Pay vault. Meh.. luckily it's not that much (440'ish Yuan), but it still sucks.
Now I can bind WeChat Pay to a foreign CC (Used DBS Visa), but then it will get charged in SGD directly, not touching the RMB still in the WeChat Pay vault. Meh.. luckily it's not that much (440'ish Yuan), but it still sucks.
I'm not at all surprised that they won't let you use balance funds in Singapore though. That's a forex transaction and your balance is CNY, which has always been subject to currency controls.
Aug 19, 23, 6:31 pm
#686
Join Date: Aug 2023
Posts: 8
tsammyc was trying to use his balance IN CHINA. Preventing him from having access to those funds as CNY is what I suspect is illegal. Tencent isn't obligated to make it easy, but they can't simply decide his money is theirs because their rules changed.
I would complain if I could to some authority, but Im afraid it would cause more trouble than its worth. Perhaps I will leave the balance there until some future date when China changes its laws to make it easier to open bank accounts. At least with a dual SIM phone, i can easily switch between two WeChat accounts and respond to sudden security verifications
I also asked if they could refund the stored value balance into my bound VISA card, but they said they cant. Only into a class I debit card.
Last edited by tsammyc; Aug 19, 23 at 6:40 pm
Aug 19, 23, 7:38 pm
#688
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: HKG
Posts: 1,251
You would presume that the same applies in China and the default is probably UnionPay. Did you specifically tell them that you wanted to use MasterCard? I'd be surprised if they were able to take a normal contactless MasterCard but not an Apple Pay one.
Aug 20, 23, 7:06 am
#689
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: PVG
Programs: MU Platinum, HH Diamond
Posts: 744
So it needs to be processed as a MasterCard. In Hong Kong, where a contactless POS accepts both MasterCard and UnionPay, you often need to tell the merchant before the transaction which card you're trying to use or it may fail as the two types of cards are incompatible.
You would presume that the same applies in China and the default is probably UnionPay. Did you specifically tell them that you wanted to use MasterCard? I'd be surprised if they were able to take a normal contactless MasterCard but not an Apple Pay one.
You would presume that the same applies in China and the default is probably UnionPay. Did you specifically tell them that you wanted to use MasterCard? I'd be surprised if they were able to take a normal contactless MasterCard but not an Apple Pay one.
Aug 20, 23, 8:35 am
#690
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 40,686
weChats solution is impractical. To bind someone elses Chinese class I debit card to my WeChat pay so that I can empty the entire balance into somebody elses account just so I can continue to use my WeChat pay.
I would complain if I could to some authority, but Im afraid it would cause more trouble than its worth. Perhaps I will leave the balance there until some future date when China changes its laws to make it easier to open bank accounts. At least with a dual SIM phone, i can easily switch between two WeChat accounts and respond to sudden security verifications
I also asked if they could refund the stored value balance into my bound VISA card, but they said they cant. Only into a class I debit card.
I would complain if I could to some authority, but Im afraid it would cause more trouble than its worth. Perhaps I will leave the balance there until some future date when China changes its laws to make it easier to open bank accounts. At least with a dual SIM phone, i can easily switch between two WeChat accounts and respond to sudden security verifications
I also asked if they could refund the stored value balance into my bound VISA card, but they said they cant. Only into a class I debit card.
In your case, the obvious solution to making you whole is for Tencent to simply let you drain your balance (e.g. buy stuff, transfer to a friend, create a 红包 for a group). Forcing you to open a bank account is not cool.
