Paying for goods in China
Paying for goods in China is extremely different to what we are used to – so it’s important to prepare in advance!
China has moved on from traditional bank card payments – these days if you attempt to pay with a physical credit card (or Apple pay) you will likely be turned away, the only exception being larger international shops (Nike, Apple, Zara etc).
China operates a mostly cashless society – while cash is still an acceptable and legal form of payment, know that most Chinese people will not be using cash.
This means you may struggle to get the exact change that you require, as shops/restaurants will not usually be dealing with cash. You may need to wait a while, while they try to find cash from another vendor.
You know when you go into Starbucks and queue to order from the barista? This no longer exists in many coffee shops in China. The standard now is all orders are done via scanning a QR code at the shop entrance and paying for your order via WeChat or Alipay.
No cards, no cash – So what on earth do they use?!
Good question! The mainstream way of making payments is via WeChat and Alipay. I advise you to download and set-up both, but if you had to choose one, I would pick Alipay as a priority.
Alipay
Alipay allows you to pay for EVERYTHING in China. I’m talking your food, drink, taxi, cinema, attractions, services.. It’s essentially the Chinese Apple Pay, but on steroids.
It also allows you to:
And a lot more !
Alipay is absolutely critical to smoothly living in China, even if just there for a short visit. All Chinese people will have this app and use it in their daily life, so I highly encourage you to download and set-up Alipay in advance of your trip to China.
I’ve made a step-by-step guide (with screenshots) of how to set-up Alipay here.
If Alipay does all that, what is WeChat and why would I need it?
WeChat covers a similar list of features, you can pay for goods, order your taxi, book your cinema tickets etc. The main differences are:
WeChat is an important app to download and set-up for an easier experience in China. Especially if you plan to connect with people in China or eat/drink in local restaurants.
Click here for my step-by-step guide (with screenshots) of how to set up WeChat for the first time.
So I’ve downloaded Alipay/WeChat – now what? How does it work?
How do they work in practise?
To pay for goods, either you will scan someone else’s QR code and enter how much money you wish to pay, or they will have a scanner and scan your QR code, deducting an amount of money from your balance.
It will become clear who needs to scan who, as either there will be a laminated QR code at the till, or the shop assistant will hold up a scanner to scan you.
Scenario A: Scanning their QR code
You’ve taken a taxi and arrived at your destination – now it’s time to pay. There is a blue (Alipay) QR code and a green (WeChat) QR code. You may choose either Alipay or WeChat to scan the correct code, and issue your payment.
Scenario B: Presenting your QR code to be scanned
You are at a supermarket and the counter has no visible QR codes. The shop assistant scans your items and tells you the price, then holds up a scanner to scan your QR code.
You present your QR code from either WeChat or Alipay (there is no difference), the shop assistant scans your code and the payment is completed immediately.
Payments are completed automatically and will be reflected on your balance immediately.