Travel Like a Local: How To Use Alipay In China vs WeChat Pay

[@jamesl9371]

I was in Shanghai in May 2023 for the first time in 7 years. I had this shock. The first lunch in a restaurant they were shocked to see my cash. But I had the correct amount and they accepted it. After that I always asked people if they would accept cash. I was there 5 days and didn’t have a major problem. I heard that they are required to accept cash because some people (older people for example) might not even have a smart phone. I’m thinking about going back in November and so I’m watching this video. I’ll be better prepared

[@PocketCams]

I'll follow up in a vlog from Shanghai - published when I hit London from Sepy 18th - about how well this method works. Taking cash as a back-up though ..

[@cronuschok3492]

I recently went to Guangdong to travel and found a slogan on the wall saying that "Refusing to accept cash is a crime." So i guess cash is still a major payment method.

[@gaziashfaq]

Cam you register alipay with overseas number and use it in china?

[@PocketCams]

I'm not sure - haven't tried it, I'm afraid

[@abdulmuhsenalhmoud7179]

I haven't land in china yet but just in case , I opened the application and when I chose pay . sorry, overseas payment is available to verified users from china mainland only , what's the case here

[@PocketCams]

Here's the link to what Alipay thermselves say about it - not much detail I'm afraid. Worked fine in Shanghai for me. Not sure about Hong Kong, if that's where you are headed: www.alipayplus.com/pay-in-the-chinese-mainland

[@gskylexkk7280]

After you add your debit/credit card details to Alipay, can you delete the card details later if you no longer need to use Alipay ? Same question for didi, can you delete the card detail later if no longer need when coming back home? Thanks

[@daveinchina]

Alipay and WeChat pay will not work outside china unless you have a local bank card, but they will work inside China

[@PocketCams]

Yes - this video is about 'in China'

[@User-Tal1951]

Humm That's why it is not working in my tests before the travel 😅

[@daveinchina]

@@User-Tal1951 Yes, same here. I tested in London Chinatown, the ladies in Chinatown confirmed it will work in the mainland in China. BUT it will not work in HK.

[@romelpalmes2235]

Hi mate can you use Debit MasterCard to link with Alipay or do you need an actual credit card?

[@PocketCams]

Worked fine with my debit Visa so you should be all good.

[@romelpalmes2235]

@@PocketCams cheers mate! Looking forward to going to China at the end of the year.

[@yanglinluo]

Finally a kiwi 😊, I am heading to china next year, I got my ANZ credit cardinked to Alipay, ID certification done. Am I good to go? Do I need data in China to use Alipay? My phone is too old to use esim

[@PocketCams]

Hey there :) yes, you’ll need data. So if you can’t use an eSIM you’ll need an unlocked phone and get a SIM card there. Not sure about the details about how to do that …

[@yanglinluo]

@@PocketCams my partners phone can get esim maybe she can hotpot me. Do you think my Alipay with anz cc linked would work in China? I recently tried it in NZ. It didn't work and I found out only Alipay with a chinese bank acc linked can work outside of China.

[@Muggel65]

Hi, I'm in Shanghai soon. Do I have to be online all the time to be able to use it? I don't have a simcard there and I don't want to do roaming!

[@PocketCams]

Yes. You’ll need to be online. I used an eSIM - check out my videos on Holafly and BNESim to help with that.

[@Wunderpus-photogenicus]

Question: If I added a binding of credit card to Alipay, then, purchases with Alipay in China is just like using my credit card back in the US, am I right? Will the purchases with my Alipay in China show up on the same credit statement we see in the US, in US$ and not in RMB? According to your experience, do banks/credit cards deliberately used exchange rates favorable to themselves?

[@PocketCams]

As far as I can see, yes - for straight purchases anyway. Not sure anything like purchase insurance would apply. I'll know more when I get a chance to use it in 6 weeks or so.

[@fletcherbrown728]

Very Confusing: You show to register you need to enter your phone number but then you show an +86 (China) phone number. Can you use a US or foreign phone number? If so, will it stop working once you get to China and get a China sim card with a Chinese phone number? Or are you saying that to register Alipay you need to go to Ch9na first and then register once you have a Chinese sim card? Very confusing.

[@PocketCams]

This is for travellers. Worked like a charm for me in China over the past 3 weeks. Nz phone number registered. Nz bank account linked. All done before I travelled.

[@haraldeptor9338]

Do they take cash?

[@PocketCams]

Some places still do - others not

[@蔡荣耿]

of course,reject cash is illegal

[@DR-by2md]

What about the Alipay tour card….which is a cash card through a virtual Shanghai bank.

[@noahmyg]

I heard they discontinued that

[@TreeCross]

Thank Tu

[@PocketCams]

Welcome

[@PocketCams]

Welcome

[@jre617]

"Add your phone number"? Can you be specific? Can I use my US phone number OR, I need a SIM with a Chinese number. Can I use an eSim? So goddam complicated, with only bits and pieces on each video.

[@PocketCams]

Yes you can use an eSIM. Yes you can use your uS number. You will need data in China in your device.

[@saeedabdullah3979]

تعليق الناس في المقع كلهم يقولون سيء احذروا منهم

[@jannarkiewicz633]

I would never return to China. Too dang scary. Then again, I'm in the Philippines. China ain't our BFF. We have the same issue here with GCash and Maya. Our IDs cannot be registered so we all let our spouses/girlfriends handle the payments when required (Internet, water, electricity, rideshare, etc.)

[@PocketCams]

This is true. It's a transit visit for me. Staying a couple of nights, so I'll need money!

[@CalvinCarlo]

Scary? Haha What makes it scary for you? 😜

[@jannarkiewicz633]

@@CalvinCarlo Google Michael Spavor, Michael Kovrig

[@Wunderpus-photogenicus]

Are you sure you were not in Oakland, California?

[@jannarkiewicz633]

@@Wunderpus-photogenicus When not in Manila, I am in San Jose. The only place worse than SF is Oakland

[@CTP8585]

I am very disappointed that you did tell us how to install Alipay step by step.

[@PocketCams]

Okaaaaay. Don’t really know what else I could do. I’m sure someone else has done one you can find.

[@user-sakhi]

😂

[@PocketCams]

☕️