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How to Set Up Alipay and WeChat Pay as a Foreign Visitor

A concise pre-trip setup guide for linking international cards, using merchant QR codes, and understanding which wallet features may be restricted.

7 min readUpdated July 19, 2026China mainland

Set up Alipay and WeChat before you travel to China. Most short-term visitors can link an international bank card for merchant payments without opening a Chinese bank account first.

The easiest order is: set up Alipay first, then WeChat. Make sure merchant payments are ready before worrying about transfers or red packets.

1. What to prepare

Have these ready before you start:

  • A mobile number that can receive verification messages
  • Your passport
  • An international bank card with overseas payments enabled
  • The same name spelling on your passport and bank card
  • A backup card, ideally from another bank

Only download Alipay and WeChat from an official app store. Enter identity details carefully: name order, middle names, and spaces can affect verification.

Bottom line: Prepare your phone number, passport, and two cards before you go. Do not start registration while a restaurant is waiting for payment.

2. Set up Alipay

  1. Download Alipay and register with your mobile number.
  2. If the app offers an International Version, select it.
  3. Follow the current card-management screens to add an international bank card.
  4. Complete identity verification when prompted.

Once set up, you will usually pay in one of two ways:

  • You scan the merchant: Open Scan, read the merchant’s QR code, and confirm the merchant and amount.
  • The merchant scans you: Open your payment code and show it to the cashier.

Alipay’s official guidance says international cards can fund everyday purchases in the Chinese mainland. They do not support some features, including person-to-person transfers, sending or receiving red packets, wealth management, and insurance services.

Bottom line: Use Alipay first for everyday merchant payments. Do not treat an international-card account as a complete local Chinese wallet.

3. Set up WeChat Pay

  1. Download WeChat, register with your mobile number, and confirm that messaging works.
  2. Follow the current app interface to a payment area such as Me / Services / Wallet.
  3. Add your international bank card and enter the requested identity details.
  4. Use your passport to complete verification if the app asks for it.

After setup, you may see several payment methods:

  • Scan a printed merchant QR code
  • Show your payment code to a merchant
  • Pay inside a mini program
  • Scan a personal payment code, transfer to a friend, or send a red packet

The person-to-person features need a clear warning: being able to chat does not mean personal QR payments, friend transfers, red packets, or wallet balance features will work. For a visitor using an international card, merchant payments are still the first feature to confirm.

Tencent announced a temporary processing-fee offer for some first-time international-card users in 2026, alongside payment guidance in more languages. Promotions change. Check the final payment screen for the current fee instead of relying on an old promise.

Bottom line: WeChat is both a communication app and a second payment option. Confirm merchant payments first, and never assume person-to-person features are available.

4. Check before your first payment

  • Both apps open and sign in normally.
  • No identity-verification step is waiting to be completed.
  • Overseas and online payments are enabled on your cards.
  • Your phone can access mobile data in China.
  • You check the merchant name, amount, exchange rate, and fee notice before confirming.
  • You still have cash and a backup card if your phone or bank fails.

If the first payment fails, try the other app or another card. Avoid repeatedly changing identity details at the checkout. A separate troubleshooting guide will cover declines, verification problems, network failures, and fee messages.

Final answer: Register and link your cards before departure. In China, make a normal merchant payment first. Use Alipay as your main tool, WeChat for communication and a second merchant-payment option, and keep cash plus another card for emergencies.

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Sources checked for this update

  • Chinese government / Xinhua, Payment service guide for overseas visitors to China, April 11, 2024
  • Alipay+, Pay in the Chinese mainland, checked July 19, 2026
  • Beijing municipal government, Overseas Bank Cards Accepted by Weixin Pay and Alipay, checked July 19, 2026
  • Tencent, Tencent Announces Three Initiatives to Make Inbound Payments for International Visitors Easier Than Ever During APEC 2026, updated June 5, 2026