How to Pay in China Without WeChat

Every year, our student society, Cam Capy, takes several dozen Cambridge students on a trip to China. And every year, WeChat gives them the same two headaches. First, signing up with a foreign number can need an existing WeChat user to scan a verification QR code. In our experience, the code has to be scanned within a few minutes, and each helper can only assist a few people a year. So you need someone who hasn't helped many people recently and is free right then.

The second is worse. Several times, someone's account has been blocked within days of arriving, unblocking hasn't worked, and getting around has become hard. So set up Alipay or TenPayGo before you leave, and keep a card and some cash within reach.

Start with a backup

Payment setup and account recovery are different tasks. Neither Alipay nor TenPayGo requires you to unblock a WeChat account first (1 · 4). No app can guarantee every payment will go through.

Set up before you fly

Alipay: your phone number and an eligible card

Download Alipay from its official store listing, register with your own overseas number, and follow the prompts to link a supported international card (4 · 34). Card eligibility also depends on the issuing bank (4). Our paying in China guide covers card linking and identity checks step by step.

At a merchant, you can scan their payment QR code or show your payment code for the cashier to scan (4).

TenPayGo: a separate Tencent option

Use the App Store listing or Google Play listing. Check that the developer is Tencent Technology (Shenzhen). Store-region and device availability may vary (32 · 33).

The official guide starts with email sign-in, then an international card or Apple Pay where available. You may be asked to verify the payment method. It supports scanning a merchant code, showing your payment code and supported merchant web checkouts (1).

For TenPayGo's card fee, see Fees and limits below.

TenPayGo is for eligible merchant purchases in mainland China. Its agreement excludes money transfers, receiving transfers, wallet top-ups and red packets (20). A personal collection code is not a promised use case. If a payment fails, use another method rather than assuming a different scan direction will fix it.

If WeChat signup asks for a friend

WeChat may ask a nearby user to scan a QR code. If no one can, it offers verification with a payment card or by activating Weixin Pay. The conditions depend on your country or region, so follow the prompts on screen (9). Don't use a VPN while registering. If signup still fails, WeChat's help page links a support form (9).

If an existing WeChat account is blocked

Follow the instructions shown when you sign in (10), or use the self-unblock page. One phone number can unblock only one account (2).

Use the eligibility conditions shown in your own recovery flow. Signup scan instructions do not establish who can help unblock an account.

Fees and limits: check the payment screen

Weixin Pay with an international card

Tenpay's 15 January 2026 notice says payments of ¥200 or less are fee-free. Above ¥200, the fee is 3% of the whole payment, not just the amount above ¥200. The notice says fee changes will be announced in advance and proportionate fees are returned on refunds (3).

Alipay and TenPayGo

China's National Immigration Administration guide (Nov 2024) says Alipay payments with an international card up to ¥200 are free and 3% is charged above that (35). Check the payment page for the current fee. TenPayGo waives its international card fee on international card transactions of ¥200 or less. Above ¥200, or when paying with Apple Pay, a fee may apply. The app shows the amount before you confirm (1). Your card issuer may add its own charges and exchange rate (20 · 26).

Limits

Everyday spending rarely hits these caps. Before a big purchase, check the limit shown in your app.

SourceApplies toPer paymentPer monthPer year
Shanghai government (4 · 29)International cards on Alipay or Weixin PayUS$5,000not statedUS$50,000
Weixin Pay help page (26)International cards on Weixin Pay¥6,500¥50,000¥65,000
TenPayGo guide (1)TenPayGolimits may apply, no amounts givenlimits may applylimits may apply

If Alipay verification or payment fails

Use Alipay's in-app support or official customer service. The English hotline is +86 571 2688 6000, 08:00–24:00; the general line is +86 571 95188, 24 hours (17).

From a traveller (a personal report, not an official rule): Verification changed during one trip. In a June–July 2026 Reddit discussion, one traveller reported a failed Alipay passport check before departure. Their dated updates said verification cleared after arrival and both Alipay and WeChat worked during the trip.

Reddit, 2026-07-06. Keep in mind: One account and one trip. They also contacted support; this does not establish what resolved the restriction or promise the same result for you.

From a traveller (a personal report, not an official rule): Both apps failed twice in Hunan. In a Reddit reply read in October 2026, one visitor reported two payment failures in Hunan with both Alipay and WeChat, and attributed them to vendors not accepting foreign-funded payments.

Reddit. Keep in mind: One visitor’s explanation, not a verified diagnosis or a rule for all vendors. The reply was labelled four months old when read; its exact date was not established.

These are two reports from one discussion, not a guarantee for your account.

At the counter: keep the fallback simple

For attraction tickets, use the methods shown on the official booking channel. Our Forbidden City page and Before You Go payments guide keep booking and setup detail together.

Quick questions

Do I need a mainland Chinese phone number?

Alipay accepts an overseas number (4). Weixin Pay says an international number is enough if it can receive verification texts (26). TenPayGo's guide starts with email sign-in; follow any additional checks in your own setup flow (1).

Can I use Apple Pay?

TenPayGo supports Apple Pay on compatible devices where available (1). That does not mean Apple Pay works directly at every shop terminal in China.

Can I transfer money or send red packets?

Weixin Pay says linked international cards do not support transfers or red packets (26). TenPayGo's agreement excludes those functions (20). For Alipay, check what the app allows.

Should I still set up WeChat?

Yes, if signup works for you. Just don't make it your only way to pay.

Related on China Footnotes

Sources

Numbers in brackets point to these sources; place names point to our place pages, which carry their own sources and check dates. Published 2026-10-15, updated 2026-10-17. Checked 2026-10-15.

Cover picture: Conceptual clay illustration of two unbranded phones, a backup payment card and coins.