setting up alipay was easier than i expected
i read so many horror stories about foreigners trying to use alipay. maybe i got lucky but mine worked.here is what i did.
downloaded the app before leaving. chose sign up with international phone number. used my us number. got a text with a code.
then it asked for my passport. took a photo of the passport page and a selfie. verification took about 12 hours. some people say 24 hours.
after that i added my chase credit card. it worked right away.
once in china i could pay for almost everything. street food vendors scanned my qr code. supermarkets. even the subway in shanghai had a qr code scanner at the gate.
one annoying thing. some places only take wechat pay and wechat pay is harder to set up. you need a friend to verify you. i didnt bother.
cash still works but some places act annoyed if you use it. especially small shops.
about vpn. i used expressvpn and it worked about 80 percent of the time. sometimes i had to switch servers. other travelers said astrill worked better. if i go again i would try astrill.
install the vpn before you go. seriously. you cannot download it from inside china.
also download offline maps on google maps or maps.me before you leave. because without vpn google maps wont work.
hope this helps someone who is stressing about the payment thing. i stressed for nothing.
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