how to set up alipay and wechat pay as a foreign tourist

jack

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 passport page and a selfie. verification took about 12 hours. some people say 24 hours so do it before you leave.

after that i added my chase credit card. it worked right away. some cards charge a foreign transaction fee so check yours first.

once in china i could pay for almost everything. street food vendors have a qr code. supermarkets too. even the subway in shanghai lets you scan at the gate.

wechat pay was harder. you need a friend who already has wechat to verify you. i did not have that so i just used alipay.

bring some cash as backup. maybe 200 yuan. some small shops might not take cards. but i only used cash twice in 3 weeks.

one thing to know. alipay shows you the exchange rate when you pay. it is fine but not the best rate. still convenient.

also download alipay tour pass if you have trouble linking your card. it is like a prepaid card within alipay. load money from your credit card and use it like a local.

hope this helps someone who is stressing about the payment thing. i stressed for nothing. it worked fine.