China Arrive

WeChat Pay not working — checklist for visitors

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

Use this list when a payment is declined, Wallet will not open, or every scan fails. Confirm the current caps in Wallet → Help Center — the figures below are the international-card rules visitors should start from. Full setup: download to QR payment.

1 Payment declined at checkout

Check you have not hit the ¥6,500 single-payment limit or the ¥50,000 monthly limit. Open Wallet → transaction history, then retry once. The yearly cap is ¥65,000. A payment above ¥200 can also show a 3% fee on the full amount — that line is a fee, not always a failure (fees and the waiver).

2 Is Wallet even open?

Me → Pay and Services (also labelled Services) → Wallet. If Pay is missing, finish the Wallet steps in the setup guide.

3 Real-name still unfinished?

A restriction notice means passport verification is not done. Upload the passport photo page — all four corners, no glare — and wait. Real-name blocks.

Illustrated WeChat screen showing a payment declined message Illustrated screen, not a photograph of the app.

The rest of the checklist

  1. SMS. Linking a card and some security checks need a text message. Fix delivery before you retry. Can’t receive SMS.
  2. Card will not link at all. The bank is often blocking WeChat Pay / Tenpay in China. Card not supported.
  3. Wrong kind of payment. An international card can pay merchants, scan to pay, use ride codes, and pay inside mini programs. It cannot send red packets, transfer person-to-person, top up the wallet, or withdraw to a bank.
  4. You are scanning the wrong code. Scan a merchant collection code (step 6 of the setup guide). Your own code is Money (收付款) — the cashier scans you. Do not screenshot that screen or let a stranger scan it.
  5. Connection. Switch between stable Wi-Fi and mobile data. If a network proxy or similar tool is on, turn it off for the payment attempt. Update WeChat, reboot, and try once more.
  6. Need a fallback. Alipay takes the same kind of international card. A card that fails in one app often works in the other.
  7. Carry cash. ¥500–1,500 in small notes covers temples, stalls, rural stops, and a dead battery.
  8. Phone number changed after you left China. You can still sign in with your password. Update the number in Me → Settings → Account Security.

How to capture evidence (helps support)

If you contact wallet support or your bank:

  1. Screenshot the exact error text (English or Chinese). Do not screenshot your Money (收付款) payment code.
  2. Note the time in China Standard Time (UTC+8) once you are in mainland China.
  3. Mask card numbers before you send images anywhere public.
  4. Keep the merchant name and approximate amount.

Do not post live QR codes or full passport pages on social media.

When to stop retrying

If two careful attempts fail after SMS, real-name, and the bank alert are sorted, switch to Alipay or cash for that purchase. More declines can deepen a fraud lock at the issuer.

Source note

Limits and the fee line follow the WeChat Pay Help Center international-card rules. Promotions change. Confirm them in Wallet → Help Center. China Arrive is not affiliated with Tencent or WeChat.

FAQ

Wallet opens but every QR fails.
Confirm you are scanning a merchant collection code, not a personal code meant for a transfer. International cards cannot pay person-to-person transfers.

The green success screen never appears.
Do not leave the counter. Check transaction history. If the amount is not there, retry once, then use Alipay or cash.