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using alipay without a chinese bank account. possible.
i read that alipay now allows foreign credit cards. tested it on my trip.
here's what i did. downloaded alipay before leaving. signed up with my international phone number.
uploaded my passport and a selfie. verification took about 12 hours.
added my chase credit card. it worked right away.
once ...
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getting an esim for china. my experience.
i didn't want to deal with a physical sim card. so i tried an esim.
i bought one online before my trip. used a company called holafly. there are others too.
cost was around 30 usd for 15 days. unlimited data but no phone number.
installation was easy. scan a qr code, follow the prompts. took 2 mi ...
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using a sim card in china. here's what i did.
i bought a sim card at the airport when i arrived. here's how it went.
there was a booth after baggage claim. the person spoke enough english to help me.
i paid 20 usd for 20gb of data. valid for 30 days. they installed the sim and set it up for me.
the data worked fine. speed was good enough for ...
alipay worked for me. here's how i set it up.
was worried about payments before my trip. turned out fine.
i used alipay. downloaded the app before leaving. signed up with my us phone number. uploaded a photo of my passport and a selfie.
verification took about a day. then i added my credit card.
once in china, i used it everywhere. street fo ...
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alipay vs wechat pay. which one works for tourists.
just got back from 3 weeks in china. used both alipay and wechat pay. here's which one actually works for tourists.
alipay wins. no question. here's why.
setting up alipay. download app, sign up with international phone number, upload passport photo and selfie. verification took about 12 hours. th ...
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how to set up alipay and wechat pay as a foreign tourist
i just got back from 3 weeks in china and barely used cash. everything was on my phone. here is how i set it up.
alipay was easier for me. download the app before you go. choose sign up with international phone number. i used my us number.
then it asked for my passport. took a photo of the passpor ...
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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 t ...
setting up alipay + vpn for china trip (what worked for me)
just came back from 3 weeks in china and mobile payments stressed me out before I went but actually wasn't that bad.
I used alipay. download the app, choose sign up with international phone number, select passport as id type. upload a photo of your passport and take a selfie. then add your credit ca ...
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How to Use Alipay and WeChat Pay as a Foreign Tourist (2026 Update)
Many first-timers don't realize that China is nearly cashless. Street food stalls, subway tickets, even some temples expect mobile payments. Here's how to set things up.
Alipay (我的 go-to recommendation)
- Download the app (search "Alipay" in your app store)
- Choose "Sign up with international ph ...
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