Test Chinese Payment Apps Before Traveling

In China, QR codes are everywhere - from street vendors and shopping malls to tickets and online payments, even beggars use them. However, many international travelers discover their Alipay and WeChat Pay don't work with these QR codes.

We provide authentic Chinese QR codes covering all scenarios you'll encounter. Test your setup with a simple ¥1 payment to ensure smooth transactions during your trip.

{count} travelers helped
美国
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英国
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法国
...

Alipay
Individual QR

Street vendors B&Bs Individuals
Click to reveal
¥1 CNY ≈ 0.15 USD

Instructions

  1. Open your Alipay app
  2. Tap the "Scan" icon
  3. Scan this QR code
  4. Confirm payment of ¥1
  5. If you see "Payment Successful", your setup works!
  1. Take a screenshot of this QR code
  2. Open your Alipay app
  3. Tap the "Scan" icon
  4. Tap the "Album" icon on the bottom right
  5. Select the screenshot from your gallery
  6. Confirm payment of ¥1
  7. If you see "Payment Successful", your setup works!

What individual QR code success means:
Congratulations! You can pay in all scenarios in China, including street vendors, small restaurants, B&Bs, taxi drivers, and all other merchants.

Possible reasons for failure:
Individual QR codes typically don't accept credit card payments, even if they're linked to Alipay or WeChat successfully.

Community solutions:

  • Link one debit card as backup — You can still set the credit card as primary payment card.
  • Carry cash — Exchange and keep some small bills (¥5, ¥10, ¥20) as backup. ¥500 is enough.
  • Use Alipay Tour Pass — Available through the Alipay international app, this option incurs service fees, top up $300 USD is usually sufficient for a month of small expenses.

Alipay
Business QR

Malls Hotels Online platforms
Click to reveal
¥1 CNY ≈ 0.15 USD

Instructions

  1. Open your Alipay app
  2. Tap the "Scan" icon
  3. Scan this QR code
  4. Confirm payment of ¥1
  5. If you see "Payment Successful", your setup works!
  1. Take a screenshot of this QR code
  2. Open your Alipay app
  3. Tap the "Scan" icon
  4. Tap the "Album" icon on the bottom right
  5. Select the screenshot from your gallery
  6. Confirm payment of ¥1
  7. If you see "Payment Successful", your setup works!

What business QR code success means:
It means you can pay at various formal commercial establishments, such as shopping malls, chain hotels, large restaurants, online platforms and other organizations.

Possible reasons for failure:
This is a business QR code that should theoretically support most international cards linked to Alipay. If it still fails, your card may not have fully activated international payment features, or your bank may have restrictions on overseas payments. Without resolving this, you won't be able to use this mobile payment method in China.

Community solutions:

  • Contact your bank — Confirm your card has international payment features activated.
  • Try reconfiguring this mobile payment method

WeChat Pay
Individual QR

Street vendors B&Bs Individuals
Click to reveal
¥1 CNY ≈ 0.15 USD

Instructions

  1. Open your WeChat app
  2. Tap the "+" icon and select "Scan"
  3. Scan this QR code
  4. Confirm payment of ¥1
  5. If you see "Payment Successful", your setup works!
  1. Take a screenshot of this QR code
  2. Open your WeChat app
  3. Tap the "+" icon and select "Scan"
  4. Select the screenshot from your gallery
  5. Confirm payment of ¥1
  6. If you see "Payment Successful", your setup works!

What individual QR code success means:
Congratulations! You can pay in all scenarios in China, including street vendors, small restaurants, B&Bs, taxi drivers, and all other merchants.

Possible reasons for failure:
Individual QR codes typically don't accept credit card payments, even if they're linked to Alipay or WeChat.

Community solutions:

  • Link one debit card as backup — You can still set the credit card as primary payment card.
  • Register Alipay — It is hard to top up WeChat Pay for foreigners. Alipay with some balance is the best backup.
  • Carry cash — Exchange and keep some small bills (¥5, ¥10, ¥20) as backup. ¥500 is enough.

WeChat Pay
Business QR

Malls Hotels Online platforms
Click to reveal
¥1 CNY ≈ 0.15 USD

Instructions

  1. Open your WeChat app
  2. Tap the "+" icon and select "Scan"
  3. Scan this QR code
  4. Confirm payment of ¥1
  5. If you see "Payment Successful", your setup works!
  1. Take a screenshot of this QR code
  2. Open your WeChat app
  3. Tap the "+" icon and select "Scan"
  4. Select the screenshot from your gallery
  5. Confirm payment of ¥1
  6. If you see "Payment Successful", your setup works!

What business QR code success means:
It means you can pay at various formal commercial establishments, such as shopping malls, chain hotels, large restaurants, online platforms and other organizations.

Possible reasons for failure:
This is a business QR code that should theoretically support most international cards linked to WeChat Pay. If it still fails, your card may not have fully activated international payment features, or your bank may have restrictions on overseas payments. Without resolving this, you won't be able to use this mobile payment method in China.

Community solutions:

  • Contact your bank — Confirm your card has international payment features activated.
  • Try reconfiguring this mobile payment method

50% of all test payments will be donated to support children's education in China via CYDF.

Replace Your Usual Apps with Chinese Alternatives

First-hand information, more affordable services, English-friendly

🌍 Translation

Microsoft Translator is a great option. Due to the good relationship between Microsoft and China, it is not blocked like Google. It also has an offline mode.

iOS App Store Play Store

📶 China eSIM

Yesim - $3.1/day with built-in VPN

Yesim Official Website

Holafly - $3.7/day with built-in VPN

Holafly Official Website

Trip.com - $0.8/day with built-in VPN

Trip.com eSIM Official Page

To check if your phone supports eSIM, dial *#06# - if you see an EID number, you're good to go.

🗺️ Map

Amap - Google Maps won't work well in China due to deliberate map offset issues. Amap, owned by tech giant Alibaba, offers reliable data verified by millions of users and decent English support, making it a great choice. Downloading offline maps for your destination cities will also be helpful.

iOS App Store Play Store

🚗 Transportation

Didi is the most popular ride-hailing app in China. It is available in English, supports international credit cards, and is more affordable compared to taxis in most countries.

iOS App Store Play Store

12306.cn is China's official railway website for booking train tickets. It supports multiple languages including English. Surprisingly user-friendly.

iOS App Store Official Website

🏨 Booking

Trip.com supports multiple languages for booking hotels and flights. According to foreign travelers' feedback, one valuable point is that all hotels listed there accept foreign guests. (Not all hotels in China accept foreigners)

iOS App Store Play Store

🍽️ Food & Entertainment

Dianping - China's Yelp for restaurant and venue reviews.

iOS App Store Play Store

Rednote - Discover trendy spots, local recommendations, and lifestyle content from Chinese users.

iOS App Store Play Store

🌟 You don't need to be fully prepared to visit China

There's a Chinese proverb: "A road will appear when you reach the mountain" - meaning that solutions often present themselves when you face challenges head-on. With such a large population, common needs are usually well-served by various service providers.