Go to content 
How to pay with Alipay in China | Easy step-by-step guide
Understanding what Alipay is and How to pay with Alipay in China It can be a headache when you start organizing your trip, but I promise you that Once you understand it, it's simple.I would even say very practical. That's why we decided to make this guide on how to use Alipay to pay in China.
We take this opportunity to tell you about the many other functions that Alipay has in addition to paying, because It is an App that serves for everything, From taking public transport and renting bikes to even doing laundry, understanding how things work is key to traveling in China.
What is Alipay in China
Understanding (or trying to) what Alipay is and how to use it is one of the main things What to know before traveling to China.
Alipay is a mobile payment application used in China that allows you to link a bank card.carand pay by scanning QR codes. For foreign travelers, it also serves to access public transport, order a Didi, rent bicycles and use numerous mini-programs (apps that do not need to be downloaded).cargadas).
⚠️ It is very important that you add a card without fees for currency exchange because you will pay everything in yuan. These are the best cards for traveling abroad that currently exist.
The Alipay App It is one of the most widespread ways to pay in China, The other option is through WeChat, a WhatsApp-like messaging app with dozens of other features. We prefer Alipay because it's simpler and more visually appealing than WeChat, but we recommend...carConsider both as alternatives. I say this from personal experience; on our second visit to China, Alipay gave us a lot of problems on one of the phones.
How to register on Alipay
- ThecarDownload the official app.
- Register with your phone number.
- Verifycar Identity. Add passport.
- Link a bank cardcaria. Create the payment PIN.
- Perform an initial check before traveling.
The Alipay app for foreigners is usually in English, but sometimes some things appear in Chinese. When they're in Chinese, a translator button appears on the left; simply clicking it translates the text.
How pay with Alipay in China and many other functions
In order to use Alipay you have to have internet on your mobile, So we recommend you either buy a local SIM upon arrival or order an eSIM from Holafly before you travel. Perhaps our article explaining the best way to have internet with VPN in China. For most functions you must also have Bluetooth connected or the payment will give you an error.
Achieve QR on Alipay to pay in China
The main function of Alipay is to pay and it can be done in two ways.
The first is scanning the seller's QR, to do this you just have to click on Scan and scan the QR of your store (they usually have them posted on the wall or counters). In this option you add the amount you are going to pay, and if you are not sure about it, they usually write it themselves on your mobile phone.
And the second option is Pay using your own QR, is in the option Pay/Receive. It usually occurs in places with fixed prices such as the entrance to a temple or in restaurants and large stores that write the price at the cash register and you just have to scan it to be charged.
In both options It will ask you to enter your pin when making the payment, the pin is chosen when adding the credit card.
How to pay for the subway with Alipay
Both in the shanghai metroAs for Beijing public transport and many other big cities you can pay with Alipay in a super simple way.
⚠️ They are sole proprietorships associated with your account, two people cannot swipe the same QR.
To activate it you have to enter the section Transport Select the city from the dropdown menu at the top (it usually picks it by location). You'll need to activate the bus and metro separately because they are two different cards. To do this, go to View > Activate > fill in your personal details: Name, ID Type (select Passport), and ID Number. > Agree and obtain card.
And ready!
The transport card that you have activated will appear when entering Transport in the form of a QR, which you only have to scan at the doors of the subway or bus to access, and again to exit. Heads up! If you change cities, you'll have to accept the terms again for that city..
Rent electric bikes and scooters with Alipay
One of the things that surprised us about China is that its big cities are much less chaotic than we expected, full of carbike riles that make traveling by bicycle comfortable and economical.
As expected, Alipay has its own rental bikes distributed throughout the city; they are They are blue and have the Alipay logo. in white. There are also yellow and green bikes, but we were unable to use them with Alipay as it required Chinese identification. There is also an electric scooter version.Although they're not as common as bicycles and aren't available in every city, we used them in Lijiang. The steps to unlock electric bikes and scooters are the same.
To rent those blue bikes by the minute you have to enter more > Hello Ride or scan directly with the button Scan from Alipay. The first time you use it, you'll see a basic course on how the bike works and little else. After that, you'll have a scan button at the top right to scan the QR code of the bike you want to take.
Once selected, a second blue button appears in Chinese (you have the option to translate) with which You confirm that you want to unlock it.
To return them you have to go back to access Hello Ride Then you press the blue button that appears, the bike says a phrase in Chinese, and it's locked. Although some older models have a lock on the rear wheel, to return those you just have to manually engage the lock. We didn't see any of these on our 2026 trip.
How to order a Didi from Alipay (taxis in China)
Didi is the most popular Uber-like app in China, and we use it very often because it's really cheap. To use it, you can...carDownload the Didi app or, as we prefer, use Alipay since all your payment information is verified and it's more convenient. You can find it as Didi Travel and if you have used Uber or another similar application, it will not be difficult for you to understand, The concept is the same.
When you get into the car, it's common for them to ask for the last few digits of your phone number because they need it to confirm they're picking up the right person. Sometimes they have to write down the last few digits, and sometimes they just need to confirm.
If you were wondering at the beginning of the article what Alipay is, you see that Alipay is... Everything you need to travel to China and not die trying!
Other things you can do pay with Alipay
The four functions that I have told you about how to use Alipay are the most necessary for traveling to China, but I did not want to end the article without mentioning some others that you may use, such as renting Power BanksThere are points of recarga throughout the city and you can pay for several of them through Alipay.
But not only that, during our trip we have used Alipay for many things, such as put washing machines. If you don't know how something works and you see a QR, try scanning it with scan and see what happens.
Another feature that you almost certainly use is paying at the vending machines what's on the street or on public transportation.
And finally, it is not related to how to pay with Alipay, but within the App you have access to a quite intuitive translator for conversation mode or to see the currency exchange in real time. As I said, Alipay is a must!
FAQ about how to pay with Alipay in China
Alipay works like a cara digital payment system where you can pay by scanning QR codes. If you travel to China, you can create an account, verify your information, and more.car your identity and link a bank cardcarforeign ia. When you make a payment, the amount will be charged to your selected card.
You can pay with Alipay in two ways. The most common is to press ScanScan the establishment's QR code and enter the amount. Larger stores may also ask you to show your code from [location/website/etc.]. Pay/Receive They'll scan it directly. Then you'll just need to confirm the payment with your PIN.
Yes, foreign travelers can use Alipay in China. You will need to register with your phone number and verify your identity.car verify your identity with your passport and link a bank cardcarAI compatible. We advise you to set it up before your trip to check that the verification and card are working correctly.
Within Alipay, go to the bank cards section.carTap the option to add a new card. You will need to enter your card details and complete identity verification. Whenever possible, use a card with no currency exchange fees, as payments will be made in yuan.
Yes, to use Alipay normally you'll need an internet connection. The most practical thing to do is to have an eSIM ready before you travel or buy a local SIM card when you arrive in China. Besides making payments, you'll need a connection to use features like Didi, public transportation, or mini-programs.
If you have any questions, leave them in the comments and we will try to help you as much as possible. To find out more about our trip through China you can see the featured stories of Instagram, and to organize your trip here you have all our China guides with updated information and our guide Hong Kong in 1 day.
Start preparing your trip to China
These are our favorite websites to do so. Plus, if you use our links you support all the content about China at no extra cost to you.
