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
Oct 29, 17, 7:05 pm
#1
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Opinion: without Alipay and Wechat Pay, you are screwed in Shanghai
This is just my personal opinion.
I couldn't another thread where this issue is being discussed.
China (esp. Shanghai) is moving away from a cash to a digital money economy.
While foreign cards were always a problem, cash was usually king - for a long time.
However, recently most shops prefer payment via Alipay and Wechat Pay. This is a problem for foreigners, because setting up Alipay and Wechat Pay is a hazzle.
I am not 100% sure about that, but usually you'll need a Chinese mobile number (not a big problem) and a Chinese bank account (a big problem) to fund the payments.
Without Wechat Pay and Alipay:
- You cannot hire any bikes in Shanghai
- You will have trouble ordering or finding a taxi
- Traders look in a weird way at you, when you try to pay with cash.
My fear is that the Chinese Government may do away with cash within the next 3-5 years.
I couldn't another thread where this issue is being discussed.
China (esp. Shanghai) is moving away from a cash to a digital money economy.
While foreign cards were always a problem, cash was usually king - for a long time.
However, recently most shops prefer payment via Alipay and Wechat Pay. This is a problem for foreigners, because setting up Alipay and Wechat Pay is a hazzle.
I am not 100% sure about that, but usually you'll need a Chinese mobile number (not a big problem) and a Chinese bank account (a big problem) to fund the payments.
Without Wechat Pay and Alipay:
- You cannot hire any bikes in Shanghai
- You will have trouble ordering or finding a taxi
- Traders look in a weird way at you, when you try to pay with cash.
My fear is that the Chinese Government may do away with cash within the next 3-5 years.
Oct 29, 17, 8:18 pm
#2
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: 42.1% in PDX , 49.9% in PVG & 8% in the air somewhere
Programs: Marriott Ambassador Elite, UA 1K, AS MVP GLD 75K, DL Pt
Posts: 1,086
This is just my personal opinion.
I couldn't another thread where this issue is being discussed.
China (esp. Shanghai) is moving away from a cash to a digital money economy.
While foreign cards were always a problem, cash was usually king - for a long time.
However, recently most shops prefer payment via Alipay and Wechat Pay. This is a problem for foreigners, because setting up Alipay and Wechat Pay is a hazzle.
I am not 100% sure about that, but usually you'll need a Chinese mobile number (not a big problem) and a Chinese bank account (a big problem) to fund the payments.
Without Wechat Pay and Alipay:
- You cannot hire any bikes in Shanghai
- You will have trouble ordering or finding a taxi
- Traders look in a weird way at you, when you try to pay with cash.
My fear is that the Chinese Government may do away with cash within the next 3-5 years.
I couldn't another thread where this issue is being discussed.
China (esp. Shanghai) is moving away from a cash to a digital money economy.
While foreign cards were always a problem, cash was usually king - for a long time.
However, recently most shops prefer payment via Alipay and Wechat Pay. This is a problem for foreigners, because setting up Alipay and Wechat Pay is a hazzle.
I am not 100% sure about that, but usually you'll need a Chinese mobile number (not a big problem) and a Chinese bank account (a big problem) to fund the payments.
Without Wechat Pay and Alipay:
- You cannot hire any bikes in Shanghai
- You will have trouble ordering or finding a taxi
- Traders look in a weird way at you, when you try to pay with cash.
My fear is that the Chinese Government may do away with cash within the next 3-5 years.
But I have yet to fail to be able to get something with good old hard cash. There are a lot of things where w/o AliPay/Wechat Pay like food/laundry delivery that are impossible, but not sure how many foreigners trying to live like a local.
I am there every other week, taxi drives, stores and most places still take cash. Sadly few places take MC/VISA/AMEX. I certainly don't feel screwed or limited in my shopping/purchasing/eating nor travel
I know a few places like company cafeteria that don't take cash but have their own "cards" that do allow you to buy a payment card.
Given the fact there is a huge amount of expat and foreigners I don't think Government nor business are that stupid to not enable foreigners to get about and spend $, now will it be as convenient as a local, maybe not.
From what I know getting a local bank account is getting harder, I should have done it 6 months ago, but you can still secure a local account with passport and once you got that you are golden with AliPay and Wechat Pay.
BTW at least with OFO they enable foreign CC, mine has been working.
Oct 29, 17, 9:09 pm
#3
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,046
". . . but you can still secure a local account with passport and once you got that you are golden with AliPay and Wechat Pay."
I grit my teeth every time I read something like that. Even with a bank account it can be an extraordinary hassle.
It turns out only a few banks work for foreigners, even fewer if your name takes more than 20 spaces.
There's no help at all navigating through the various problems that can arise. You are on your own trying to resolve any problems.
Further, these payment sites create even more confusion by setting up both Mainland and non-Mainland versions, with no explanation how if at all they work together.
And finally, phone numbers get re-used in China, and if the number on your new SIM has already been used to register on a site, you'll be in a hopeless situation.
In any event, how did you pay by credit card on OFO?
I grit my teeth every time I read something like that. Even with a bank account it can be an extraordinary hassle.
It turns out only a few banks work for foreigners, even fewer if your name takes more than 20 spaces.
There's no help at all navigating through the various problems that can arise. You are on your own trying to resolve any problems.
Further, these payment sites create even more confusion by setting up both Mainland and non-Mainland versions, with no explanation how if at all they work together.
And finally, phone numbers get re-used in China, and if the number on your new SIM has already been used to register on a site, you'll be in a hopeless situation.
In any event, how did you pay by credit card on OFO?
Oct 29, 17, 11:28 pm
#4
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: SNA
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Oct 30, 17, 1:18 am
#5
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: 42.1% in PDX , 49.9% in PVG & 8% in the air somewhere
Programs: Marriott Ambassador Elite, UA 1K, AS MVP GLD 75K, DL Pt
Posts: 1,086
". . . but you can still secure a local account with passport and once you got that you are golden with AliPay and Wechat Pay."
I grit my teeth every time I read something like that. Even with a bank account it can be an extraordinary hassle.
It turns out only a few banks work for foreigners, even fewer if your name takes more than 20 spaces.
There's no help at all navigating through the various problems that can arise. You are on your own trying to resolve any problems.
Further, these payment sites create even more confusion by setting up both Mainland and non-Mainland versions, with no explanation how if at all they work together.
And finally, phone numbers get re-used in China, and if the number on your new SIM has already been used to register on a site, you'll be in a hopeless situation.
In any event, how did you pay by credit card on OFO?
I grit my teeth every time I read something like that. Even with a bank account it can be an extraordinary hassle.
It turns out only a few banks work for foreigners, even fewer if your name takes more than 20 spaces.
There's no help at all navigating through the various problems that can arise. You are on your own trying to resolve any problems.
Further, these payment sites create even more confusion by setting up both Mainland and non-Mainland versions, with no explanation how if at all they work together.
And finally, phone numbers get re-used in China, and if the number on your new SIM has already been used to register on a site, you'll be in a hopeless situation.
In any event, how did you pay by credit card on OFO?
Ditto for me, seemed to work for my AMEX and VISA both US cards.
Oct 30, 17, 3:10 am
#7
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,046
I guess I'm just particularly unlucky.
Using the Chinese Ofo Android app, there's no option for credit card under Wallet, only options for payment by Alipay or Wechat. Indeed, the instructions say just that, "充值方式为微信、支付宝和Apple pay."
Alipay would not take my non-Mainland credit card. And my Mainland debit card works only with a Chinese ID number.
And looking at the fine print, it seems Ofo has a 12-65 age limit.
I'm glad this works for some, but really, the stress there has to be on some. For the rest of us, it's a time-wasting mess.
Using the Chinese Ofo Android app, there's no option for credit card under Wallet, only options for payment by Alipay or Wechat. Indeed, the instructions say just that, "充值方式为微信、支付宝和Apple pay."
Alipay would not take my non-Mainland credit card. And my Mainland debit card works only with a Chinese ID number.
And looking at the fine print, it seems Ofo has a 12-65 age limit.
I'm glad this works for some, but really, the stress there has to be on some. For the rest of us, it's a time-wasting mess.
Oct 30, 17, 5:54 am
#8
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Shandong/WV
Posts: 158
If you can get the international OFO app, it allows foreign credit cards of course. I set up my CSP for it while in China.
Even better, there are some problems with the international app in China -- in four months of being in China, riding OFO daily, sometimes for as long as an hour, I was never once charged. I'm not sure if it was a promo code I had once loaded for a free couple RMB to each ride or an incompatibility to understand I had rented a bike, but it was a nice surprise.
I did actually contact OFO support about it and what I thought was a related matter, and they advised that the international app has issues in mainland China.
Even better, there are some problems with the international app in China -- in four months of being in China, riding OFO daily, sometimes for as long as an hour, I was never once charged. I'm not sure if it was a promo code I had once loaded for a free couple RMB to each ride or an incompatibility to understand I had rented a bike, but it was a nice surprise.
I did actually contact OFO support about it and what I thought was a related matter, and they advised that the international app has issues in mainland China.
Oct 30, 17, 8:14 am
#10
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,046
At one point I downloaded the international app but couldn't find anything there that assured me it could be used in China. It looked like it might only be for Birmingham or some such. I didn't want to put money on it without some assurances. Also, I thought credit card charges could only be refunded within a few months, so I'm not sure how the security deposit gets back to you after a couple of years, say.
Too, the Chinese app has a very cheap one-year plan. Not sure I saw anything like that on the international app.
Too, the Chinese app has a very cheap one-year plan. Not sure I saw anything like that on the international app.
Oct 30, 17, 8:19 am
#11
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Shandong/WV
Posts: 158
I downloaded the OFO international app in China but from the US app store. I added the deposit and 10 RMB credit, and then when I wanted a bike, I would scan and unlock. The only issue I had was that the GPS system didn't work, so I couldn't locate bikes using the map.
Oct 30, 17, 10:33 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 38,229
China in one area has jumped ahead of the rest of the world with electronic payment, there is good and bad.
But I have yet to fail to be able to get something with good old hard cash. There are a lot of things where w/o AliPay/Wechat Pay like food/laundry delivery that are impossible, but not sure how many foreigners trying to live like a local.
I am there every other week, taxi drives, stores and most places still take cash. Sadly few places take MC/VISA/AMEX. I certainly don't feel screwed or limited in my shopping/purchasing/eating nor travel
I know a few places like company cafeteria that don't take cash but have their own "cards" that do allow you to buy a payment card.
Given the fact there is a huge amount of expat and foreigners I don't think Government nor business are that stupid to not enable foreigners to get about and spend $, now will it be as convenient as a local, maybe not.
From what I know getting a local bank account is getting harder, I should have done it 6 months ago, but you can still secure a local account with passport and once you got that you are golden with AliPay and Wechat Pay.
BTW at least with OFO they enable foreign CC, mine has been working.
But I have yet to fail to be able to get something with good old hard cash. There are a lot of things where w/o AliPay/Wechat Pay like food/laundry delivery that are impossible, but not sure how many foreigners trying to live like a local.
I am there every other week, taxi drives, stores and most places still take cash. Sadly few places take MC/VISA/AMEX. I certainly don't feel screwed or limited in my shopping/purchasing/eating nor travel
I know a few places like company cafeteria that don't take cash but have their own "cards" that do allow you to buy a payment card.
Given the fact there is a huge amount of expat and foreigners I don't think Government nor business are that stupid to not enable foreigners to get about and spend $, now will it be as convenient as a local, maybe not.
From what I know getting a local bank account is getting harder, I should have done it 6 months ago, but you can still secure a local account with passport and once you got that you are golden with AliPay and Wechat Pay.
BTW at least with OFO they enable foreign CC, mine has been working.
Oct 30, 17, 11:17 pm
#13
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 9,839
My biggest problem is that they don't allow foreigners to use Alipay or WeChat Pay outside of Mainland China. I'd love to be able to pay for things this way in HK or SE Asia where Alipay at least seems to be widely accepted, but for some reason they block me from doing this.
In China, I agree, if you don't have Alipay or WeChat Pay then you're setting yourself up for more hassle.
In China, I agree, if you don't have Alipay or WeChat Pay then you're setting yourself up for more hassle.
Oct 31, 17, 9:21 am
#14
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: HRB
Programs: OZ Diamond
Posts: 130
My biggest problem is that they don't allow foreigners to use Alipay or WeChat Pay outside of Mainland China. I'd love to be able to pay for things this way in HK or SE Asia where Alipay at least seems to be widely accepted, but for some reason they block me from doing this.
In China, I agree, if you don't have Alipay or WeChat Pay then you're setting yourself up for more hassle.
In China, I agree, if you don't have Alipay or WeChat Pay then you're setting yourself up for more hassle.
I agree that it's a nuisance, particularly since they have my bank card, and therefore my bank details, on file. It would be good if Alipay/WeChat would let you at least have the US$500 equivalent per day. Would cover most cases of mobile payment.
Oct 31, 17, 9:48 am
#15
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: HRB
Programs: OZ Diamond
Posts: 130
For Alipay at least, you can buy vouchers/gift card type things from convenience stores, small shops, possibly even post offices that have a code. You then can enter the code on the Alipay website and load the money into your account that way. There is a 1% handling fee.
I don't think there is a similar method for Wechat. Of course, you can just pay cash to someone and get them to directly transfer money from them to you, which works for either app. Less messy than the Alipay voucher method as long as that person is trustworthy and comfortable with it.
I don't think there is a similar method for Wechat. Of course, you can just pay cash to someone and get them to directly transfer money from them to you, which works for either app. Less messy than the Alipay voucher method as long as that person is trustworthy and comfortable with it.
