China's largest third-party mobile wallet, accepted almost everywhere for dining, transport, ride-hailing, e-commerce and attractions. Foreign visitors can now activate it directly with a passport plus an international card, making it the most practical payment tool for short trips to mainland China.
!Not a bank. Alipay is a PBOC-licensed non-bank payment institution; wallet balances are client reserve funds / e-money, NOT deposits, and are not covered by deposit insurance (they are held in segregated reserve accounts under PBOC rules).
Yes. Register with a foreign mobile number, verify with your passport, then bind a Visa / Mastercard / JCB / Diners Club / Discover card (American Express phased in from Feb 2025). Transactions of CNY 200 or less are fee-free; above CNY 200 a 3% service fee applies. After passport verification: ~CNY 36,000 per transaction and ~CNY 360,000 per year (~USD 5,000 / 50,000). Red packets, P2P transfers and wealth-management products are not available on foreign cards.
No minimum top-up; an international card is charged per transaction, no pre-loading required｜Free to open. No Alipay fee on transactions of CNY 200 or less; 3% service fee above CNY 200 (refunded pro-rata on refunds). Your card issuer may add a 1–3% FX fee. Promotional fee waivers for new users appear periodically — check the app.
Before verification: ~USD 500 per transaction, ~USD 2,000 per year. After passport verification: up to ~CNY 36,000 (~USD 5,000) per transaction and ~CNY 360,000 (~USD 50,000) per year, the PBOC cap for foreign-card mobile payments. Balances are not deposits and are not deposit-insured.
Yes. Register with a foreign mobile number, verify with your passport, then bind a Visa / Mastercard / JCB / Diners Club / Discover card (American Express phased in from Feb 2025). Transactions of CNY 200 or less are fee-free; above CNY 200 a 3% service fee applies. After passport verification: ~CNY 36,000 per transaction and ~CNY 360,000 per year (~USD 5,000 / 50,000). Red packets, P2P transfers and wealth-management products are not available on foreign cards.
Local bank account: Not required. Items typically needed: A mobile number that can receive SMS (foreign or mainland); Valid passport (bio page; name must match the cardholder name exactly); A physical Visa / Mastercard / JCB / Diners Club / Discover (or Amex) credit or debit card; A smartphone with internet access; For full functionality: a mainland Chinese mobile number and a mainland bank card.
Typically: A mobile number that can receive SMS (foreign or mainland); Valid passport (bio page; name must match the cardholder name exactly); A physical Visa / Mastercard / JCB / Diners Club / Discover (or Amex) credit or debit card; A smartphone with internet access; For full functionality: a mainland Chinese mobile number and a mainland bank card.
How to sign up: Fully online via the mobile app — register with a foreign phone number, verify your passport, bind an international card (About 10–30 minutes online; passport review usually within hours, occasionally 1–3 working days). Steps: 1) Download the Alipay app before you travel 2) Register with your foreign mobile number and confirm the SMS code 3) Go to Me -> Bank Cards -> Add a card, enter number, expiry and CVV 4) Upload your passport bio page and complete real-name verification (face check) 5) Wait for approval (usually within hours) 6) Test with a small ~CNY 10 payment in a store Fees: Free to open. No Alipay fee on transactions of CNY 200 or less; 3% service fee above CNY 200 (refunded pro-rata on refunds). Your card issuer may add a 1–3% FX fee. Promotional fee waivers for new users appear periodically — check the app.
Before verification: ~USD 500 per transaction, ~USD 2,000 per year. After passport verification: up to ~CNY 36,000 (~USD 5,000) per transaction and ~CNY 360,000 (~USD 50,000) per year, the PBOC cap for foreign-card mobile payments. Balances are not deposits and are not deposit-insured.
E-wallet rules change often — always follow the latest instructions in the official app.