The most commonly used way to purchase and pay things in China is via using Alipay or WeChat. I recommend downloading both apps prior to your travel, so that you are able to purchase and pay on-site once you get there. Here is what to do:
Step 1: download both apps for free via the App Store; ensure English language in your setting
Step 2: add and connect your banking card(s): credit- and visa cards work perfectly fine
Introducing Alipay and WeChat
WeChat:
Is a chat- and messaging service, comparable to Facebook's WhatsApp service. Via the app, you are able to send text- and group messages, share documents, have video calls and share your favorite moments for others to see and benefit from. Next to the chat- and messaging service, the app also obtains a mobile payment-system to use. Just a WhatsApp, WeChat is the major communication tool in China to stay connected and add new acquaintances along your journey.
Alipay:
Is a Chinese online payment system, enhancing online payments and digital services. The app obtains several cross-linked apps to use- and choose from, e.g. ordering Didi, booking a train- or flight ticket, etc. It also contains several useful travel- and tourist guide information to scroll through. Ensure to choose your area of stay in the left-hand-corner to not book a Didi in Shanghai, when beind situated in Chonqing.
The, to me, most beneficial tool in Alipay is the "Translation"function. Simply click on "Translation" and choose the language to be translated, e.g. from English to Chinese. To do so, you can either type in your text manually or use the record button. Also, you can take pictures of Chinese letters that the app will translate directly onto the photo. This respective last function will be very helpful in restaurants, local street food stands or other public places in which you will not find any English translation/ signposting.
Mobile Payment: how to pay via WeChat and Alipay
There are two possible ways to pay in China with Alipay or WeChat:
Pay/ Receive:
Paying a vendor with your Alipay or WeChat QR code is common in case prices are determined and sign-posted, such as in supermarkets, malls, coffee shops, bigger stores.
Example a (Pay):
You walk into a 7Eleven store and grab a sandwich (5 RMB) and a Coke (3 RMB). Walk up to the cashier, open your Alipay app, show your QR code and the amount of money to be paid (8 RMB) will be scanned and withdrawn. You will directly be asked to confirm the payment on your phone. All former payments are visible in your purchase activity list, embracing to keep an eye o expenses already undertaken.
Example b (Receive):
Open your Alipay app. Instead of using your “Pay Vendor” QR code, switch to “Receive”. This option applies if a vendor, friend or person wants to transfer money onto your account, e.g. in case you have paid too much and/or have lend some money.
Scan:
For some vendors, e.g. streetfood purchases, you might need to scan a QR code and type in the amount of money to be paid individually. Once you confirm the payment, the vendor receives a notification and hands out your purchased goods.
Example (Scan)
You are strolling around the Forbidden City and find yourself in streetfood paradise, aiming to try the sugar candied strawberries on a stick. To purchase your midday snack, the vendor points at a green QR code and signalizes 5 RMB with his/her hand. Open your Alipay or WeChat app and open “scan”. You will be forwarded to a page asking you to put in the amount of money (5 RMB in this case) you would like to transfer to the vendor. Confirm the payment and you are all done.
QR Color-coding:
Green QR codes = WeChat payment
Blue QR codes = Alipay
*Red QR codes = universal; payable via either app (just try out which one works best for you)
*Please note:
sometimes, especially considering the red QR codes, payments with European credit or visa cards might not flawlessly work. This is mainly the case when payments are requested to be undertaken via UnionPay, a local bank in China, that foreigners (unless you have a local bank account) do not have access to. In these cases, look out for green/blue QR codes to use instead or ask for paying cash.
Can I pay cash or via a physical credit/ visa card?
Paying cash is not common in China. However, I recommend bringing a small amount, as you might find yourself in a situation where Alipay and/or WeChat do not work (see example above). Metro cards, for example, can be purchased easily with cash at the service counter, other smaller purchases might as well. It might be difficult to find an ATM in public places, hence make sure to have some back-up cash with you for emergency cases.
Just as paying with cash, paying with a physical credit cards is equally not common practice. Never have I seen a card reading machine in any of the stores or stands I passed by, so you will be better off having your credit/ visa cards connected to your cashless payment apps.
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