The single most common question we get: “Can I even pay for things in China?” The honest answer has changed completely in the last few years. Here’s the current state of play.
The order of hassle (least to most)
- Alipay or WeChat Pay with a linked foreign card — this is how the city actually runs. Street food, taxis, metro codes, convenience stores, hotpot restaurants: everything has a QR code.
- Contactless Visa/Mastercard — accepted at larger hotels, department stores, and chain restaurants. Coverage grows every year but is still maybe one shop in five in the neighbourhoods you’ll actually wander through.
- Cash (RMB) — technically legal tender everywhere and good as backup for markets or old-school canteens, but many small vendors simply never handle it anymore. Carry ¥200–300 for edge cases, not as your main plan.
Set up Alipay before you fly
- Download Alipay, register with your home number.
- Add your Visa/Mastercard under “Cards”.
- Complete identity verification (passport + face scan) at home on stable Wi-Fi — this step fails annoyingly often on airport networks.
- Turn on the “Transport” code for metro and buses.
WeChat Pay works similarly; you don’t need both, but some older vendors only display one code. Having both takes ten minutes and removes the last gap.
What things cost (so QR-code anxiety fades)
- Metro ride: ¥2–7
- Big local breakfast (noodles + soy milk): ¥15–25
- Taxi across the city centre: ¥20–50
- Nice hotpot dinner per person: ¥80–150
- Mid-range hotel night: ¥300–600
If a small shop’s QR code only accepts Chinese cards, the vendor will usually just wave you to a neighbour who takes cash, or tell you the item is on the house. Chongqing hospitality is real — but you won’t get stuck often if you set the apps up first.
The traps
- Dynamic currency conversion: if an ATM or terminal offers to bill you in your home currency, decline. Pay in RMB.
- “Your card was declined” at the top-up machine: metro machines can be fussy with foreign cards. Use the Alipay transport code instead.
- Split bills: Chinese restaurants don’t do separate cheques. One person pays the QR total, friends transfer them — do the same with your travel group.
Where a local helps
Setting up payments is 90% of the “China is hard” feeling. It’s the first thing we do with guests on a First Night — or remotely over WhatsApp with the ¥199 Concierge, before you even board the plane.
Last verified November 2026. Card acceptance in China improves monthly — the setup steps above, however, have been stable for years.