Getting paid by Chinese ESL students via WeChat pay with Stripe

[@BorderlessCommerce]

Couple notes I want to add for clarification in 2022, if you want wechat pay activated on stripe, stripe will not approve it if it's related to education and teaching business. However, alipay is okay with that so long as you have a website. I foresee them getting more and more strict with the requirements for opening the Chinese payment gateways on stripe. The upside with getting wechat pay activated (all the teachers I helped got rejected because they were in the education business, but if you lie about it, could get approved which I don't recommend) is that you can send invoices without setting up a website so the start up capital is super small. With alipay you absolutely need a website now, and you should make sure the website can be seen in China! Free WordPress sites are often blocked in China versus the paid ones with your own domain name. Just wanted to add these comments as I deal with payment processors alot inside of China.

[@KatiePrescott]

Thanks for your message. I was approved for WeChat pay on Stripe no problem, stating "other educational services" as my business category (which is also how my business is registered with company's house). I've heard other teachers have issues, but usually due to their website not having the correct information, or them specifically mentioning kids tutoring as their main focus. In the course linked in the video, I have details on WeChat official list of approved business categories, so teachers can select the one most suitable for them. Both WeChat pay and Alipay require you to have a website. My business has a proper self-hosted wordpress site which has been running for about five years now, but for independent teachers who just need something simple I'd recommend Strikingly (NOT free wordpress or Wix - as you say, they're totally blocked in China) - Strikingly is free, works in China, and I know many teachers have used it successfully to get approved by Stripe. I have some guidelines in the course as to what your website needs to include to get approved. If you get Alipay activated but not WeChat pay, you can still use Stripe's "payment links" function, you don't need to process payments through your website - this feature is new since I recorded the video, I might do an update video soon about how to send payment links :) It's essentially similar to invoices, except that clients can pay via both WeChat pay and Alipay.

[@stephanieberesford7698]

This is great! Thank you Katie! Saved me a lot of stress!

[@KatiePrescott]

Thanks for watching and your lovely comment! I'm so glad to hear you found the video helpful 😊

[@KatiePrescott]

Also, apologies for the low video quality in this video! I recorded it using my laptop webcam to make it easier to do the screensharing, camera is definitely not as good as on my phone 😅

[@Allah_the_molester]

Amazing video. I had a lot of parents asking me for private levels but the payment process had me scared. After getting everything set up (thanks to your video) I wonder why I was even worried. Thank you!

[@KatiePrescott]

Thanks for the message! Awesome, I'm so glad to hear the video helped and you've managed to get it all set up 🥳 Good luck with your private teaching!

[@englishwithqueen9099]

Thank you, Katie, very useful, I just went SOLO(^,^) and I'm from South Africa, I teach business English classes. It's been mainly Italian students because I can speak a bit of Italian. Now I started with Chinese students and it's been great! I love teaching students from all corners of the globe.

[@KatiePrescott]

Thanks for the comment, I'm so glad you found the video helpful! Super exciting that you're starting your solo teaching journey - congratulations 🥳 Ooh so I think Stripe unfortunately isn't available for South African teachers, but you might want to check out my video on other payment methods, particularly the section on Wise which would be a great option if your students are primarily from Italy/ other European countries: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3atg4mYaLSIfas Wise unfortunately doesn't work for Chinese students though, but I have some Stripe alternatives in the course (link in the video description) which do accept South African teachers teaching Chinese students 😊 I really love teaching students from all around the world too - they all come with such a diverse range of perspectives/ ideas/ challenges!

[@TeacherKellyTag]

THANKS for doing this video! I needed this

[@KatiePrescott]

Thanks for the message 🥰 You're welcome, I'm glad to hear it helped!

[@arnoldosworldteachingadven9464]

Amazing! Can’t wait to try it ASAP

[@KatiePrescott]

Awesome, good luck with everything 🥰

[@Al-wf3ut]

Hi, do you have a video to show how to take payments via a website? What Stripe plugin did you use?

[@Al-wf3ut]

For Wordpress

[@KatiePrescott]

On wordpress there are lots of plugins available, I would recommend using WooCommerce as a well-supported e-commerce plugin :)

[@Tollie_Tollie]

awesome thanks Katie!

[@KatiePrescott]

Glad this video helped!

[@derekhayward5792]

Hi It is a while since you posted this video. Has WeChat tightened its regulations regarding payment for tuition to fall in line with Chinese laws? They are requesting more information before they will authorise WeChat payments via Stripe. Would I be wiser to list my business as something other than tuition?

[@KatiePrescott]

Hi Derek! I can't say from personal experience as I set it up a couple of years ago and using a registered business (LLC) not individual so the process was a little different. I did have to list my products / services, payment schedule, etc though, which included tutoring and other educational services (teaching materials, online courses, etc). You can find the WeChat pay official rules online (message me on FB for a link, KZbin won't let me share), including allowed / banned business categories. Probably best to ask in the FB group for other teachers' insights who have more recently registered too 😊 Search on FB for "WeChat and XiaoHongShu for online ESL teachers" if you're not already in the group.

[@arapitt]

Excellent video. I'm in China and I don't know how to get the money out of the country. Can I use stripe to fund with yuan? That is, can I transfer yuan to stripe without problems? thank you

[@KatiePrescott]

I guess you could, but it would be quite an expensive way of doing it if you are exchanging a large sum of money. Most expats use other methods - because you live in China, you have access to more options. You can use Alipay, your bank, or Wise (Wise doesn't usually work for RMB transactions, but they do have an exception if you are a foreign resident in China): wise.com/invite/u/katep323

[@danitacrewson4529]

Thank you!!! Very helpful!

[@KatiePrescott]

You're welcome! I'm glad to hear you found the video helpful 🥰

[@4Yards4Him]

Is there something I need to do to change the USD to RMB on my Stripe invoice?

[@KatiePrescott]

I think you can do this from the invoice page, I know some other teachers are doing this. I just charge in my own currency though, this way your income is more stable. I have students in several different countries, not just China, so it's easiest to set my prices in GBP (UK pounds - my currency).

[@gemmadriver4166]

Thanks so much for this video! Not sure if you're still reading comments, but does anyone know what I need to enter as my 'Government issued personal ID number'? That's the only missing info stripe are asking for to enable wechat pay. I'm in the UK. Thanks 😊

[@KatiePrescott]

Hi Gemma! I *think* I put my national insurance number for that maybe, although I registered as a limited company (so also had to put in my company registration number etc too) so it might be a different procedure if you're self-employed.

[@gwynethdfastnacht8393]

Thank you!

[@KatiePrescott]

You're welcome, glad the video helped 🥰

[@maureenmassey1665]

Thank you! This was a great help.

[@KatiePrescott]

You're welcome! Thanks for the comment 🥰 Good luck with your independent teaching!

[@ReikiandResonance]

Thank you so helpful!

[@KatiePrescott]

You're welcome, glad it helped! 🥰

[@camdye9264]

Hey Katie, I'm facing some extremely big hurdles with this, is there any chance we would be able to communicate a little? this is like the 15th time I'm watching this video expecting to see something different that I can understand why I cannot keep processing payments when I've started. Generally, after 2-3 weeks they express I do not comply with their regulations etc. I believe I'm possibly opening the wrong account type or a lack of information which I don't seem to notice. If you're able to chat briefly, I'd greatly appreciate it.

[@KatiePrescott]

I'd recommend contacting Stripe support for assistance, as unfortunately I am unable to help with this 😔

[@BethanySanchez-e1j]

Hi Katie! Am I able to use a facebook business page link instead of a website to activate WeChat?

[@KatiePrescott]

No, they don't Accept social media accounts. You need a website :)

[@speerish]

Thank you, Katie! You are always so helpful! :)

[@KatiePrescott]

Thanks for your support! Glad to hear the video helped 🥰

[@whittenaw]

wonderful! Thanks so much!

[@KatiePrescott]

You're welcome, thanks for the message! Hope you found the video helpful 🥰

[@whittenaw]

@@KatiePrescott yes thanks to this video I didn't spend countless hours trying to figure out how the heck to get paid, i did get paid, i didn't have to use paypal, and I didn't have to pay a 20 dollar bank fee

[@KatiePrescott]

@@whittenaw ahha awesome, great to hear!!!

[@twonksontour9673]

Love your videos, but I can't get past entering a business web site as I haven't got one.....how do I sort this out? Help! 🥺

[@KatiePrescott]

Hi, thanks for the message - glad to hear your finding the videos useful 🥰 Unfortunately Stripe require some evidence that you are an established business (you don't need to be a registered company, you can be a freelancer, but they expect a website). You can either set up a simple free website using Strikingly or WIX (takes just a few hours to set up a basic website with a nice looking landing page), or you can try with a social media link (only if you have a well established Facebook/ Instagram business page with several months/ years of posts, good following, etc). Some teachers reported that they didn't get approved for the WeChat pay integration though if they'd used a social media page that was blocked in China, so I'd recommend a website instead. They want to see: - Descriptions of products and services - Clear list of prices - Refund policy / T&C's - Reviews or other evidence of previous happy customers - Business details (address, contact details, etc - should match what you put on your stripe account) Hope this helps!

[@liamliam8305]

Great video thank you. I am trying to set up my STRIPE account. It asks for a website, I don't have a website. Is there something else I can write instead? Thank you .

[@KatiePrescott]

Hi Liam, thanks for the message! Sure, I've heard a few teachers had success using a social media link or a profile on a teaching marketplace platform here, but it seems very hit-and-miss with this approach, lots of teachers were rejected. I'd recommend setting up a simple wordpress site - you can get wordpress hosting for just a few dollars, including a professional website address, then install a free pagebuilder plugin such as Elementor which allows you to create your website using a simple drag-and-drop interface. You can get a simple landing page summarising your business and displaying your price list etc up in just a few hours. It's useful not just for Stripe, but also as somewhere you can gradually collect together things like testimonials/ reviews, videos of example classes, etc which helps your business grow in the longer term 🥰

[@jasongrace420]

Thanks brother that was my furst question i had after the first minute of watching,

[@andreaperry]

This was soooo helpful! Thank you!!

[@KatiePrescott]

You're welcome, I'm glad it helped! 🥰

[@Joealbert83]

Nice vid! How long does it take for the funds to be deposited into the bank account?

[@KatiePrescott]

Thanks! It takes about a week for the funds to be approved (you will see it as pending before then), and you can set how often you want it to automatically pay to your bank account (eg I've set mine to pay our every month, but you can set it daily if you want)

[@JonTimmons]

How much is a good rate to charge for 25 minutes class?

[@KatiePrescott]

Hi Jon, thanks for watching the video and your comment! It really depends on your niche, your own experience/ qualifications, how much YOU want to earn, etc. I'd say that the going market rate (if you pitch yourself well and avoid any race-to-the-bottom on pricing) is around $15-$25 for a 25 min class. Personally I charge by the hour, at about $45/ hour for one-on-one general ESL classes. I charge more for my more niche science classes and university preparation classes.

[@kerielam4366]

Tis is very helpful! Thanks

[@KatiePrescott]

Thanks! I'm glad it helped 🥰

[@anafeb84]

Hello Kate, I live in Mexico and tho I was able to open a stripe account no problem, because my account is in Mexico neither Alipay nor WeChat are available, I was wondering if you could help me, I am willing to pay a percentage to you! Or if you have any other suggestions please let know thanks for your reply!

[@KatiePrescott]

Thanks for the message! Ah that's a shame - yes, unfortunately WeChat and Alipay aren't available in every country. I wouldn't recommend asking someone else to process payments on your behalf, this could have legal or tax implications - instead, have a look into alternatives such as Nihaopay or Airwallex if these are available in Mexico. Alternatively, Stripe should still accept UnionPay (Chinese credit card) payments, so you can still use Stripe in a similar way to explained in this video - except that instead of scanning a QR code to pay via WeChat, they should put in their credit card details. Note that not all Chinese credit cards allow international payments, so if they have any issues they will need to check with their bank.

[@anafeb84]

Thank you so much for your help! I will look into these other two options

[@KatiePrescott]

@@anafeb84 you're welcome, hope you are able to find something which works for you!

[@KatiePrescott]

Apologies to anyone who has posted a question here and not had a reply - KZbin has been randomly deleting comments, I can see their previews in my notifications but can't reply and they don't show up on the video 😡 Think they're picking up supposedly "suspicious" keywords relating to things like online payments, which is obviously the whole topic of the video lol 😅 Anyways, if you notice your comment has disappeared, sorry it wasn't me! Please find me on Instagram (aikaite_travels) and drop me a message!

[@jasongrace420]

Would the pay by card option work for an invoice sent to my students in China , saying if they wanted to use Alipay/ don't have WeChat pay? Would they be able to pay by a card? Or no?

[@KatiePrescott]

In theory yes - but card payments aren't very common in China, particularly for online purchases. Many parents may struggle to understand what numbers to put in etc and also their bank card may not be able to make international transactions. Stripe does support UnionPay cards, but it seems that some Chinese banks won't authorise the transaction, the parent might need to apply for a new bank account/ card (ideally Visa/ MasterCard). I'd be very surprised if they don't have WeChat pay but do have a compatible credit card! If you want to accept Alipay payments, you need to integrate Stripe with your website :) Alipay is not supported for invoicing. This could be a good option if you want to scale up and have a simple payment-and-scheduling system on your website to reduce your admin time.

[@aminesakr6585]

I have a question about stripe

[@KatiePrescott]

Sure, what's the question?

[@aminesakr6585]

@@KatiePrescott I did my first withdrawal today. Apparently it will take 7 days to be in my account. Is that normal? Will they ask for my passport later on?

[@KatiePrescott]

@@aminesakr6585 Yes, initially it takes around a week or so to arrive in your account - I think this is just because they hold the payment in case there is a complaint from the customer or something. It speeds up though, now my payments come through in just three days :) They've never asked for my passport details so it's not an issue if you don't have a passport. If you're concerned, you can always send their support team a message - I've always found them very helpful!

[@aminesakr6585]

@@KatiePrescott Thank you Dear.

[@aminesakr6585]

Very nice video

[@gustavtarankov3899]

Great Video, a lot of information. What was not clear to me or maybe I missed it, whats the process to set up WeChat the video said it takes an hour, but how do you do it? what do I need to have? Does Turn on means to Set up, or what other steps should I follow? Thank you \

[@KatiePrescott]

Thanks for the comment, I'm glad you found the video helpful! You don't need to set up WeChat yourself, because a WeChat account is not required to receive WeChat payments via Stripe - Stripe will accept the money via WeChat then process and send it directly to your bank account. In the video, I show you where to turn on the WeChat integration. It has to be manually approved by Stripe, so may take some time for them to activate WeChat on your account. For me, they activated it within an hour. Some teachers had to wait several days. Make sure your Stripe profile is suitably detailed and you haven't selected one of the WeChat banned business categories (there's a list on Stripe). If you want to set up your own WeChat account (NOT useful at all for payments, but you can use it for conveniently messaging with people in China), I have a separate video on this which goes into a lot more depth 🥰

[@gustavtarankov3899]

@@KatiePrescott I appreciate your prompt reply. I got my first payment, Setting up WeChat was automatically on my end, which threw me off )) I just turned it on, and Voila! no waiting.

[@KatiePrescott]

@@gustavtarankov3899 Awesome - so glad it's all working for you, and congratulations on your first payment! 🥳

[@gustavtarankov3899]

Thank you I cant wait to start using abridge academy curriculum. is there someone I can talk to directly about the curriculum? Thank you

[@KatiePrescott]

@@gustavtarankov3899 awesome!! Sure, you can drop me a message using the chat tool on the website (this is usually the most convenient) or email through the contact us form 🥰

[@mrmartin2237]

I get paid by PayPal, but they take 5 percent of my earnings and withhold my pay for one week. Would Stripe be much better.

[@KatiePrescott]

Yes, Stripe generally works out much cheaper than PayPal! I would definitely recommend :) Initially they do hold your pay for around a week too, but after a few successful payments (so they're more confident you're legit) they gradually reduce the payout delay - now I get payments through within three days for free, or instantly for a small extra fee.

[@Tommy-um4yx]

Hi Katie, what is the best interactive platform to host classes on? Thank you.

[@KatiePrescott]

Hi Tommy! Personally I'd recommend Zoom (very easy to use, excellent screensharing) or Koala Classrooms (super engaging for younger kids, but requires a computer) as these are what I use. You can also have a look into ClassIn (I'm not a fan, but it does have a more advanced online whiteboard system where you can upload files directly), DingTalk (like a cut down version of ClassIn, good if you have a slower computer) and Chinese Zoom equivalents such as VooV or Zhumu. Hope this helps 🥰

[@MarkMark-xz4ff]

Do you need a registered or incorporated company to use Stripe or you are getting it sent to your own bank account?

[@KatiePrescott]

Thanks for the message! I have a limited company so I registered stripe through that, however you can also link it to a personal bank account. Stripe is aimed at businesses, but you can just say that you are a freelancer/ sole trader during the registration process, then they won't ask you for things like a business registration certificate 😊 I hope this helps!

[@MarkMark-xz4ff]

@@KatiePrescottCool Thanks. Good luck with your tutoring biz.

[@KatiePrescott]

@@MarkMark-xz4ff you're welcome! You too 🥰

[@TheCostOfLiving-]

Can you please recommend curriculum that you teach online.

[@KatiePrescott]

@@TheCostOfLiving- Sure! Actually I've been putting together a curriculum on Abridge Academy, based on the materials from our online tutoring program - there's a three month free trial, feel free to check it out here: abridgeacademy.com/curriculum/ 🥰

[@crizelvanderschyff6625]

I am in South Africa and get paid from China in USD dollers. Will this work for me?

[@KatiePrescott]

Unfortunately Stripe isn't available in South Africa, I would recommend looking into NihaoPay instead or using PayPal :)

[@ctktcmtemail5463]

I see how you can "x" out the additional cards via the invoice page but how can i only show the alipay and wechat via the payment-LINK.?

[@KatiePrescott]

I'm not sure if these payment options are available on the payment link page unfortunately, I think you need to use the invoicing feature 🙂

[@ctktcmtemail5463]

@@KatiePrescott Yeah, I can't seem to find the option for it... (too bad as i would rather use the link) Does wechat and alilpay still show as an option for the "link"? I'm approved, but there are so many icons jumbled together, i was wondering if they even show up for chinese people?

[@ctktcmtemail5463]

@@KatiePrescott Question: If i did up an invoice and sent to myself, can i post that qr code on my website for anyone to scan and pay me that way? Do you think that may work?

[@KatiePrescott]

@@ctktcmtemail5463 I don't think WeChat or Alipay are compatible with the payment link option unfortunately

[@KatiePrescott]

@@ctktcmtemail5463 no, the QR code is valid only for that one specific payment. You should just send your students invoices (see the video for all the steps 😊), they can then pay via WeChat pay. If you have a website, you can instead opt to use Stripe's website integration options - see their developer docs for all the code/ webhooks/ APIs etc or use a plugin like China Payments Plugin which automates it all for you and allows WeChat and Alipay payments through your website

[@georgeharalambous261]

Hi Katie. The website I make on Strikingly I'm assuming because I use the word teacher it will be shut down. In this case do I just make a quick website? Also in the stripe application can I ignore the tax part for the time being or will it be rejected? Thanks

[@KatiePrescott]

Why would your website be shut down? Strikingly isn't Chinese and doesn't care at all what you put on your own website. But regardless, yes you just need a quick website that meets the Stripe requirements so you can get your application approved. I'm not sure what you mean about the tax part though, this probably depends on your country as to what questions they ask - just answer them honestly and you'll be fine.

[@georgeharalambous261]

@@KatiePrescott Question 2. On stripe...WeChat pay hasn't appeared. Is it because I added Revolut which is a different kind of bank?

[@KatiePrescott]

Hmmm, it might be that WeChat pay isn't available in your region unfortunately. Which country are you in?

[@nataliemilne5231]

Hello Kate; thanks for the video it was very helpful. I have a (somewhat related) question, do you know how to send zoom invites to WeChat? Is that even possible? I have a student asking me and so far I can´t work it out. Thanks

[@KatiePrescott]

Hi Natalie! Awesome, I'm glad you found the video helpful 🥰 Sure, so in Zoom you just need to copy the invite link (either within the meeting itself, or for the pre-scheduled class) then paste this as a message on WeChat - exactly the same as if you were sending the link to them via email etc. Hope this helps!

[@talonted2659]

Amazing video. Unfortunately, I can not use Stripe in my country. Do You plan to offer a service for teachers who cannot create a Stripe account to receive payment? I am offering You up to 10%. Much obliged.

[@KatiePrescott]

Thanks, I'm glad you found the video useful!! Unfortunately I'm not in a position to offer that service, although I have seen a few other companies offering this online :) I'd be very careful though, make sure you can trust the company. Another option is just to use PayPal - the fees are a bit higher (closer to 5%) and customers can only pay via debit/ credit card not WeChat, but I've had payments from China before using PayPal no problem! PayPal is available in more countries than Stripe, so hopefully it's an option for you 🥰

[@BorderlessCommerce]

You can set up a USA company under your name then set up the stripe account through that company. It's not free to set up like stripe if you a US citizen. Be careful with people saying they can provide this service to you. Alot of scams

[@kimberlyannklasnic]

This was sooo helpful!! Thanks so much!

[@KatiePrescott]

You're welcome, I'm so glad to hear you found it helpful 🥰