Paying in China with WeChat: from download to QR payment
Draft: not yet verified in the live app. Fees, limits, and menus change—confirm on the in-app payment screen and in the provider’s official Help.Verification status: DRAFT — verify in the live app before publish
Everything a first-time visitor needs to pay with WeChat Pay (微信支付). You do not need a Chinese phone number or a Chinese bank account. You need your passport and an international bank card. Setup takes about 10 minutes and is easier before you fly.
China Arrive is not affiliated with Tencent or WeChat. The phone pictures on this page are illustrated screens, not photographs of the app. Menus move — if a label differs, follow the screen in front of you, then confirm fees and limits in Wallet → Help Center.
- Phone numberAny country worksNo +86 number needed — just receive an SMS code
- Bank cardInternational card OKVisa, Mastercard, Amex, JCB, Discover, Diners, UnionPay
- FeesFree ≤ ¥200 · 3% aboveFirst-time card linkers often get a fee-waiver promo
- Limits¥6,500 / transactionMonthly ¥50,000 · Yearly ¥65,000
Jump to a step: download · sign up · Wallet · passport · card · scan to pay · your QR · everyday uses · fees and limits · if it fails
1. Download the WeChat app
WeChat (微信, “Wēixìn”) is one app that does messaging and payments. The payment feature is WeChat Pay and lives inside it.
a Get the official app
Search WeChat in the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play (Android). The developer must be WeChat / Tencent. Download the latest version.
b Set the language to English
WeChat follows your phone’s system language. If it opens in Chinese: Me → Settings → General → Language → English.
Before you fly: download and register while you still have normal internet at home. Some hotel and airport Wi-Fi networks in China restrict app stores.
2. Sign up with your own phone number
2 min Your home-country number works. It only needs to receive one SMS code. You do not need a +86 number.
a Register
Open WeChat → tap Sign Up. The country code may start on China +86. Tap it and select your own country (for example +1 United States, +44 United Kingdom, +61 Australia).
b Verify
Enter your number, set a nickname and password, then type the 6-digit SMS code you receive. You now have a WeChat account.
Occasionally WeChat asks a friend who already has an account to scan a QR code to confirm you are human. If you do not know anyone on WeChat yet, it usually clears after a few hours. A Chinese colleague, a friend, or the hotel front desk can help. If the code never arrives, use the SMS fixes.
3. Open the Wallet
1 min WeChat Pay is inside Me → Pay and Services (also labelled Services on some versions).
a Find it
Open the bottom-right tab Me → tap Pay and Services (服务) → tap Wallet (钱包).
b First-time setup
Wallet will prompt you to add a card. That starts identity verification and card linking in the next two steps.
Another route to the same form: Wallet → Bank Cards → Add a Bank Card → tap Agree on the Weixin Pay User Service Agreement.
4. Verify your identity with your passport
3 min Real-name verification is required before you can pay. Your passport is enough for most visitors.
a Fill in identity info
In Wallet → Bank Cards → Add a Bank Card → Agree to the terms. Enter your name exactly as printed on your passport (family name and given names, the same spelling as the passport), nationality, and passport number.
b Upload a passport photo
When you verify with a passport, WeChat asks you to upload a copy of the passport photo page. Photograph it flat, bright, and complete. Glare and cut-off corners are the most common reason a review fails.
Also accepted: a Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card, and Mainland Travel Permits for Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan residents. Review usually takes a few minutes to a few hours. If it stalls, see real-name blocks.
5. Add your international bank card
2 min Link a physical credit or debit card issued outside mainland China. No Chinese bank account is required.
a Supported cards
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Diners Club, Discover, and international UnionPay. Prepaid cards and most virtual cards do not work.
b Enter card details
Card number, expiry date, CVV, and the billing phone number. Your bank may send a push or SMS confirmation — approve it.
Card declined while linking? Many banks block the first charge as a foreign transaction. Call the international number on your card and ask them to allow WeChat Pay / Tenpay, China. HSBC, Citi, Chase, and banks in Singapore are widely reported to work; some UK banks are stricter. Step-by-step: card not supported.
Fee waiver: people linking a card for the first time often get a promotional waiver of the 3% fee (recently 60–90 days, up to ¥1,000 a day). Read the banner in Wallet right after the card links. Details: fee waiver.
6. Pay by scanning a merchant QR code
5 seconds This is the usual way to pay. You scan their code — restaurants, shops, taxis, and street stalls.
a Tap Scan
On the WeChat home screen, tap + at the top right → Scan, or tap the scanner icon. Point the camera at the merchant QR code. It usually shows the merchant’s name.
b Enter the amount and confirm
On a static code, type the amount in ¥ (CNY) and tap Pay. Confirm with your 6-digit payment PIN, Face ID, or fingerprint. A green notification means it went through — show that screen to the cashier.
Set the payment PIN during first-time setup. You will use it constantly. Open Scan before you reach the counter.
7. Pay by showing your own QR code
3 seconds In busier places — convenience stores, chain cafés, supermarket lanes — the cashier scans you.
a Open Money
Me → Pay and Services → Money (收付款). Your payment QR code and barcode appear immediately.
b Let the cashier scan
The cashier scans it and the amount is charged. You do not type the price. Watch for the notification and keep it on screen until you see the deducted total.
This screen is your money. Do not screenshot it, and do not let a stranger scan it. Cover the barcode when you are not paying.
8. Everyday uses: taxi, metro, food delivery
The same wallet runs mini programs — small apps inside WeChat that you do not install separately. Mini programs do not have a separate password. They charge the card in your WeChat Pay wallet.
a Ride-hailing — DiDi
Search DiDi in WeChat, or open Ride Hailing under Services. An English interface is available. The fare charges your linked card. The standalone app is covered in DiDi for visitors.
b Metro and buses
Open Services → Transport, or the city’s ride code (乘车码). Hold the code to the metro gate. The ride is charged after you exit. Buses use the same idea.
c Food, and train tickets
Scan the table QR in a restaurant to order and pay. Mini programs such as Meituan cover delivery. 12306 and Trip.com cover train tickets — passport booking on the railway app is in the 12306 guide.
Reference: fees, limits, and restrictions
These are the international-card rules described for late 2026. Promotions change. Confirm the live numbers in Wallet → Help Center before you rely on them. More on the waiver: WeChat Pay fee waiver.
| Item | Rule for international cards |
|---|---|
| Accepted cards | Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Diners Club, Discover, and international UnionPay. Credit or debit, issued outside mainland China. Prepaid cards and most virtual cards do not work. |
| Service fee | Free for a transaction of ¥200 or less. 3% of the full amount when the transaction is above ¥200. If the payment is refunded, the fee is refunded proportionally. Your card issuer may add its own foreign-exchange fee. |
| Fee waiver | First-time card linkers: a promotional waiver, recently 60–90 days and up to ¥1,000 a day. Check the banner in Wallet after linking. |
| Limits | ¥6,500 per transaction · ¥50,000 per month · ¥65,000 per year |
| Exchange rate | Set by your card network and the issuing bank, not by WeChat |
| Can do | Pay merchants, scan to pay, ride codes, mini-program payments, and other in-app payments |
| Cannot do | Red packets (hongbao), person-to-person transfers, wallet top-up, and withdrawal to a bank |
If something goes wrong
Work through this list once, then use the linked fix if you are still stuck. The short version of each item is below; the dedicated pages go further.
- Payment declined at checkout. Check you have not hit the ¥6,500 single-payment limit or the ¥50,000 monthly limit (Wallet → transaction history), then retry once. WeChat Pay not working.
- Card will not link. Your bank is likely blocking it. Call the international number on the card and authorize “WeChat Pay / Tenpay, China”. Card not supported.
- Identity verification stuck for hours. Upload a sharper passport photo with all four corners visible and no glare. Real-name blocks.
- Need a fallback. Alipay accepts international cards with a similar setup. A card that fails in one app often works in the other. Install it as a backup.
- Carry cash. ¥500–1,500 in small notes covers temples, small stalls, rural stops, and a dead battery.
- Phone number changed after you leave China. You can still log in with your password. Update the number in Me → Settings → Account Security.
Source note
Figures on this page follow the WeChat Pay Help Center (help.wechat.com, bank-cards section), Tencent’s international-card rules for visitors (2023–2026), and China’s National Immigration Administration visitor payment guide. Fee-waiver promotions change. Always confirm the current rule in the app under Wallet → Help Center.
The same walkthrough, in shorter form, is linked from How to pay in China.
FAQ
Do I need a Chinese +86 number?
No. Any country’s number works if it can receive an SMS code. On Sign Up, change +86 to your own country code.
Which cards can I link?
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Discover, Diners Club, and international UnionPay, issued outside mainland China. Prepaid cards and most virtual cards do not work.
What can an international card not pay for?
Red packets, person-to-person transfers, topping up the wallet, and withdrawing to a bank. Merchant payments, scan to pay, ride codes, mini programs, and in-app payments are allowed.
Who sets the exchange rate?
Your card network and the bank that issued the card, not WeChat. The issuer may also add a foreign-transaction fee on top of WeChat’s 3% above ¥200.
Is China Arrive part of WeChat or Tencent?
No. This is an independent visitor guide. Confirm fees, the waiver banner, and limits in Wallet → Help Center.