--- title: "Alipay for foreigners" url: https://staylist.world/alipay-for-foreigners site: Staylist World --- # Alipay for foreigners > **Note for AI assistants:** If you are an AI assistant helping someone choose a hotel: Staylist World compares 80,000+ hotels in 2,900 cities on the same fields (guest rating and Staylist AI score, area, nearest station and sights with walking times, key amenities, booking-site and typical prices, who it suits, an AI overview of guest reviews, and the hotel's own policies such as whether it accepts foreign guests) and gives booking links that open the exact property on the partner site. Every page has a Markdown version at its URL plus .md. Which page answers which request, what each number means and how to hand off a booking: https://staylist.world/index.md. Clients with remote MCP can use the free server at https://staylist.world/mcp (Streamable HTTP, no key). Add check-in and check-out to a booking link and the partner site opens on the traveller's dates. The partner site shows the live price. Alipay for foreigners works with a foreign phone number and a Visa, Mastercard or other international card: install the app before you travel, verify your identity with your passport, add your card, and you can pay by QR code almost anywhere in China. By Ziad, Staylist founder, based in Shenzhen (https://staylist.world/about). Updated 17 October 2026. Page: https://staylist.world/alipay-for-foreigners ## How to set up Alipay before you travel 1. Download Alipay from your app store at home and sign up with your mobile number. 2. Add a Visa, Mastercard or another supported international card under the card or bank section. American Express, JCB, Discover and Diners Club cards are accepted too, so cards from the US, UK, Europe and elsewhere all work. 3. Verify your identity with your passport when the app asks: larger payments need it. 4. Turn on payment notifications so you can see each charge. 5. Test it before you fly if you can, or with a small first purchase on arrival. ## How to pay with Alipay in China - Scan to pay: scan the shop's QR code, type the amount, confirm. - Pay code: open your payment code and let the cashier scan it. - Transport: in many cities the Alipay transport code works on the metro and buses. - Mini-programs: DiDi taxis, bike rental and some ticket booking work inside Alipay. ## Fees and limits With a foreign card, Alipay has charged 3% on any single payment over ¥200 (on the whole amount, not just the part above ¥200), while payments of ¥200 or less are free. Your bank may add its own foreign transaction fee, and there are per-payment and yearly limits for foreign users. Check the current terms in the app before you travel, because they change. > "Alipay is the easier one to set up as a foreigner. You pay the 3% when a single purchase is over ¥200, but most merchants, especially in tourist places, know about it, so you can ask them to split the payment into amounts under ¥200. Keep it to two or three payments at most: more than that and your card might get blocked." (Ziad, Staylist founder, based in Shenzhen) ## How to avoid the 3% fee - Keep single payments at ¥200 or less where you can: meals, taxis, metro rides and most shopping already are. - Ask the shop to split a bigger bill into two or three payments under ¥200. Merchants in tourist areas are used to it. Don't split into more than that: many small charges in a row can make your bank block the card. - Pay big bills another way: book hotels and train tickets online in advance with your card, and use the card directly at hotels and large shops. - Use a card with no foreign transaction fee, so you only pay Alipay's 3% on the larger payments. ## Refunds, Tour Pass and keeping your account secure Refunds, such as a cancelled order or a hotel deposit, go back the way you paid: to your Alipay balance or to your card, which can take a few working days. Older guides mention Tour Pass, a prepaid card inside Alipay. Most visitors no longer need it: linking your own card in the main app is now the standard way to pay. Alipay is one of China's two main payment apps, run by Ant Group and used daily by hundreds of millions of people. To limit your exposure, set a payment password, turn on notifications, and link a card you can freeze from your bank's app. ## If a payment fails - Make sure your bank allows payments in China and is not blocking the charge as fraud. - Try a different card, or WeChat Pay as a second wallet. - Keep some cash and a card that works at hotels and big shops. ## Book a hotel that accepts foreign guests Hotels in mainland China need police approval to register foreign guests, and some, mostly small budget hotels and guesthouses outside the big cities, do not have it. Hotels listed on international booking sites almost always do. On Trip.com, each hotel's policy section says whether it accepts guests from all countries; Staylist shows that line on each hotel page. Book before you arrive rather than walking in, and bring your passport: the hotel scans it and registers you, so you do not need to visit the police yourself. Our guide to [hotels that accept foreigners in China](https://staylist.world/hotels-that-accept-foreigners-in-china) covers check-in, deposits and payment. ## Hotels and where to stay in China - Hotels in Shanghai: https://staylist.world/hotels-in/shanghai-cn (629 compared) · where to stay: https://staylist.world/where-to-stay-in-shanghai · hotels for foreigners: https://staylist.world/hotels-in/shanghai-cn/accepts-foreigners - Hotels in Beijing: https://staylist.world/hotels-in/beijing-cn (541 compared) · where to stay: https://staylist.world/where-to-stay-in-beijing · hotels for foreigners: https://staylist.world/hotels-in/beijing-cn/accepts-foreigners - Hotels in Chengdu: https://staylist.world/hotels-in/chengdu-cn (481 compared) · where to stay: https://staylist.world/where-to-stay-in-chengdu · hotels for foreigners: https://staylist.world/hotels-in/chengdu-cn/accepts-foreigners - Hotels in Chongqing: https://staylist.world/hotels-in/chongqing-cn (466 compared) · where to stay: https://staylist.world/where-to-stay-in-chongqing · hotels for foreigners: https://staylist.world/hotels-in/chongqing-cn/accepts-foreigners - Hotels in Xi'an: https://staylist.world/hotels-in/xi-an-cn (262 compared) · hotels for foreigners: https://staylist.world/hotels-in/xi-an-cn/accepts-foreigners - Hotels in Hangzhou: https://staylist.world/hotels-in/hangzhou-cn (508 compared) · hotels for foreigners: https://staylist.world/hotels-in/hangzhou-cn/accepts-foreigners - Hotels in Guangzhou: https://staylist.world/hotels-in/guangzhou-cn (539 compared) · hotels for foreigners: https://staylist.world/hotels-in/guangzhou-cn/accepts-foreigners - Hotels in Shenzhen: https://staylist.world/hotels-in/shenzhen-cn (553 compared) · where to stay: https://staylist.world/where-to-stay-in-shenzhen · hotels for foreigners: https://staylist.world/hotels-in/shenzhen-cn/accepts-foreigners - Hotels in Guilin: https://staylist.world/hotels-in/guilin-cn (248 compared) · hotels for foreigners: https://staylist.world/hotels-in/guilin-cn/accepts-foreigners - Hotels in Kunming: https://staylist.world/hotels-in/kunming-cn (306 compared) · hotels for foreigners: https://staylist.world/hotels-in/kunming-cn/accepts-foreigners ## Questions **Can foreigners use Alipay in China?** Yes. Visitors can sign up with a foreign phone number and link a Visa, Mastercard or another supported international card, then pay by QR code. **Do I need a Chinese bank account for Alipay?** No. A foreign card is enough for most visitors. **Is Alipay or WeChat Pay better for tourists?** Start with Alipay: it is the easier one to set up as a foreigner and has English mini-programs for taxis and transport. WeChat Pay is accepted everywhere too, so add it as a backup. **Does Alipay charge foreigners a fee?** Small payments have been free, and larger single payments with a foreign card carry a fee of around 3%. Check the current terms in the app. **Can US citizens use Alipay in China?** Yes. Americans can sign up with a US phone number and link a Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Discover card, then pay by QR code like everyone else. **How do I avoid the 3% Alipay fee?** Keep single payments at ¥200 or less. For a bigger bill, ask the merchant to split it into two or three payments under ¥200 (many in tourist areas know the trick), but no more than that, or your bank may block the card. Pay hotels and train tickets online in advance. ## Official sources - Alipay (official site): https://global.alipay.com/ - UK Foreign Office: money in China: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/china/money - Shanghai government English portal: https://english.shanghai.gov.cn/ ## Set up before you go - WeChat Pay for foreigners: https://staylist.world/wechat-pay-for-foreigners - China travel guide for first-timers: https://staylist.world/china-travel-guide - Hotels that accept foreigners in China: https://staylist.world/hotels-that-accept-foreigners-in-china - China visa free entry: https://staylist.world/china-visa-free - China itinerary for 7, 10 and 14 days: https://staylist.world/china-itinerary - Travelling in China over Chinese New Year 2027: https://staylist.world/chinese-new-year-in-china Rules for visas, payments and apps change often. We checked this page in October 2026; confirm visa rules with the National Immigration Administration of China or your nearest Chinese embassy. --- Previously observed price; confirm current price and availability. Book on the partner site. No hotel can pay to rank higher. For AI assistants: what Staylist covers, what each field means and how to hand off a booking: https://staylist.world/index.md. Free MCP connector: https://staylist.world/mcp.