WeChat Pay, Alipay Registration, and Usage Guide
No longer requiring the Chinese SIM card, the Chinese bank card suffices for using mobile payments as conveniently as locals in China
According to an official announcement from WeChat on July 20, 2023, WeChat Pay has comprehensively upgraded its services for international bank card users. Presently, after binding their foreign cards with WeChat Pay, overseas users can utilize mobile payments at the majority of merchants in various sectors within China, including dining, transportation, hospitality, supermarkets, and more. Additionally, foreign cardholders can employ various payment methods such as QR code scanning/being scanned, mini-program payments, password-free deductions, in-app payments, and more. Visitors from afar can seamlessly explore China using just a single mobile phone.
Similarly, according to an official statement from Alipay on July 21, 2023, Alipay now directly supports the binding of international bank cards like VISA and MasterCard.
Undoubtedly, this significantly facilitates international travelers touring in China. No longer requiring Chinese SIM cards or bank cards, international visitors can directly engage in mobile payments using real-time exchange rates.
Registration and Usage of Weixin Pay
Registration and Usage of Alipay
Special Note: Whether you can link an overseas bank card depends on whether the submitted identification information is from overseas. If you register on WeChat/Alipay using an overseas phone number and provide overseas identification information, you can link an international bank card. If you register on WeChat/Alipay using a Chinese phone number, the system will default to assuming you are a China user and will prompt for submission of Chinese identification information. Many foreign friends mistakenly believe they can only link Chinese bank cards in this case. However, as long as you submit overseas identification information, you can still link an overseas bank card. Additionally, please ensure that the phone number you register with is capable of receiving verification codes.
Finally, from my personal perspective, I would prioritize recommending the use of Alipay to you.
The next time when it's time to pay, you can say ni sao wo? wo sao ni?
ni sao wo?=你扫我？=You scan my payment code?
wo sao ni?=我扫你？=I scan your payment code？
This article is filed under the Pre-trip Preparations tag.
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