Jun 7, 2023, 10:09 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
Mar 17, 2024, 11:03 pm
#841
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: BA Gold, QF Platinum, SQ Silver
Posts: 286
Ah, so I understand now, I never had DiDi. And I now also know why, it seems to be not available on the Australian Apple App Store. So much for that- only hope that the WeChat version will work fine!
Mar 18, 2024, 11:23 am
#842
Join Date: Jan 2020
Programs: Marriott Titanium (Lifetime Gold), Caesars Diamond
Posts: 1,402
Oh sorry I see what your point is. I don't know who is actually eating the fees, but it's probably some split of visa/MC and Tencent/Baba. My last trip in April 2023, Visa through Alipay worked for about half of my transactions*. The big announcement for Visa/MC was around fall 2023, and now in December 2023 Visa through Alipay works for all of my transactions. I think in April Tencent/Baba was eating all of the fees, and now there's some split because Visa/MC is happy to enter the China market at scale.
* EDIT: it looks like I still can only load my China Mobile from my balance, not from a foreign card. But I was able to load an initial balance at the China Mobile store using my Visa on Alipay.
* EDIT: it looks like I still can only load my China Mobile from my balance, not from a foreign card. But I was able to load an initial balance at the China Mobile store using my Visa on Alipay.
Mar 25, 2024, 12:55 pm
#843
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 101
You should just search didi in the search box using your country's store.
Mar 25, 2024, 3:56 pm
#844
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: BA Gold, QF Platinum, SQ Silver
Posts: 286
I’ll just DiDi through Weixin and hope that it works there paying with Weixin pay.
Mar 25, 2024, 6:10 pm
#845
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SIN (with a bit of ZRH sprinkled in)
Posts: 9,455
As a side note, you can change the location of the app store fairly easily (no VPN required, and you don't need to by physically in the country you want to change to) - I've been using 4 different countries so far, not really an issue to switch between them..
Mar 25, 2024, 6:15 pm
#846
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,041
Mar 25, 2024, 7:06 pm
#847
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: BA Gold, QF Platinum, SQ Silver
Posts: 286
Really? I thought I would need a payment method for that country and would lose all my existing subscriptions if I do that or has this changed? I know that this is going off topic a bit but I couldn’t find anything just now that solves this problem with swapping the Apple App Store region.
Mar 25, 2024, 9:27 pm
#848
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: USA
Programs: MB Ambassador, WOH Globalist, HH Diamond (Aspire), AA Gold, UA (*G) Gold
Posts: 5,175
Really? I thought I would need a payment method for that country and would lose all my existing subscriptions if I do that or has this changed? I know that this is going off topic a bit but I couldn’t find anything just now that solves this problem with swapping the Apple App Store region.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/didi-g...na/id554499054
Mar 25, 2024, 10:33 pm
#849
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: BA Gold, QF Platinum, SQ Silver
Posts: 286
Does this link not work for you? This is what pulls up on the US App Store - “DiDi - Greater China”
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/didi-g...na/id554499054
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/didi-g...na/id554499054
Mar 26, 2024, 12:16 am
#851
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: BA Gold, QF Platinum, SQ Silver
Posts: 286
Yes, that is what I will try to do. WeChat seems to work as far as I can tell, Alipay for some reason does not like verifying my Australian passport (worked well with WeChat).
But as long as one of them works, I should be good!
But as long as one of them works, I should be good!
Mar 26, 2024, 1:53 am
#852
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: PVG
Programs: MU Platinum, HH Diamond
Posts: 829
Does this link not work for you? This is what pulls up on the US App Store - “DiDi - Greater China”
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/didi-g...na/id554499054
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/didi-g...na/id554499054
Another choice might be if you have an android phone, and you can just find the apk.
But the Wechat miniprogram works as well.
Mar 26, 2024, 6:17 am
#853
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: USA
Programs: MB Ambassador, WOH Globalist, HH Diamond (Aspire), AA Gold, UA (*G) Gold
Posts: 5,175
Unfortunately not, this gets me to the above screen indicating that this app is not available. I’ve also searched a few times with several names but it always gives me the Australian DiDi app and some Chinese apps that are not DiDi ridesharing. Maybe it has to do with DiDi being active here in Australia with a separate local app? Unfortunately, that one definitely does not work in China, unlike Uber where you can use it everywhere with the same app (does not exist in China, of course).
Apr 1, 2024, 8:18 am
#855
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,041