By Off Path Now · Updated
A Chinese street can offer plenty to take in before you reach the counter. Sorting out payment basics before departure leaves more attention for the journey. Overseas visitors can register Alipay with an overseas mobile number and link an eligible foreign bank card for purchases in mainland China. A Chinese bank account is not a prerequisite for that visitor route. Registration, identity verification, card linking and an approved payment are separate steps.
Keep your own phone, access to its text messages, a valid passport and your bank’s app available. Prepare a second way to pay, too. This guide was checked against official sources on 29 October 2026; screens and requirements may change.
1. Download the right app
On iPhone, open the Apple App Store listing below. On Android, use the Google Play listing. Check the app name, Alipay, and the developer, Alipay (Hangzhou) Technology. Store titles and availability can differ by country. If a link opens another storefront, search for the same app in your own store. Avoid third-party download sites. The international interface is part of Alipay, rather than a separate app you must purchase.
2. Register with a number you can keep using
Open Alipay and choose registration or sign-up if an existing-account login is shown. Select the country code for your phone number: for example, +33 for France, +49 for Germany or +44 for the United Kingdom. Enter the number in the format requested, without duplicating its country code. Read the terms before deciding whether to continue, then follow the app’s verification prompts and enter the SMS code it sends.
You can start before arriving in China. Keep that number accessible during the trip, including for your bank’s authentication messages. A data-only travel eSIM does not itself provide SMS reception for your usual number. In Alipay’s language settings, choose English or another available language you read; if an international-interface prompt appears, follow the relevant option. Menu wording varies.
3. Complete the identity checks requested
If Alipay asks for identity information, choose the document option appropriate to you and follow the passport instructions inside the app. Check names, document number and dates against the actual document, including any text recognised by the camera. Complete any additional verification requested and read its final status. An uploaded image is not confirmation that verification has finished. There is no promised approval time. Use Alipay’s official process for personal information. You do not need to send identity or bank details to Off Path Now to follow this guide.
4. Link your own eligible bank card
Look for Bank Cards under Me or Account, or an Add card prompt. Enter the details requested by Alipay and complete any authorisation from your bank. Visa and Mastercard are common examples in official visitor guidance, but eligibility depends on the actual card, issuer and transaction. Check overseas-payment settings with your bank if necessary. Set any login or payment credentials the app requests, keeping them distinct from one-time SMS codes. Never send these credentials to a travel adviser.
A card appearing in the app does not guarantee every payment will be accepted. For ordinary purchases with a supported linked card, you do not need to arrange a separate wallet-balance top-up. Personal transfers and red packets are different functions and are not supported by linked overseas cards in the official visitor guidance.
5. Make a small first purchase after arrival
At a participating merchant in mainland China, ask which method to use. Scan opens the camera to read the merchant’s code; enter an amount only if requested. Alternatively, open your payment code for the cashier to scan. A Receive code serves a different purpose. Before confirming, check the merchant, RMB amount, selected card and any displayed fee. Afterwards, confirm the result in your transaction history. Do not pay again immediately if the result is unclear.
Preparing the account abroad is different from testing a purchase in your home country: the app’s store description says its foreign-visitor use is intended for China. Carry a backup card and some RMB cash. Exchange rates and bank charges depend on your card arrangements; the payment screen and issuer’s current terms take priority over an old fee table.
If something does not work
- No SMS: recheck the country code and number, reception and your carrier’s settings; follow the resend timer rather than repeatedly requesting codes.
- Verification pending or rejected: read the stated reason and use Alipay’s official support. Do not submit invented information or pay a third party to bypass a restriction.
- Card added, payment declined: check the selected card and bank authorisation; ask whether the merchant supports overseas-card payments. Another payment method may be needed.
- Unsure whether you paid: check the transaction record and speak to the cashier before retrying. Keep payment barcodes private.
Before you put the phone away
Check that you can still receive messages, open your banking app and find your backup payment method. These small arrangements matter whether your route starts in Beijing, Shanghai or Chengdu. The photographs accompanying this guide show those cities; they do not establish payment acceptance at any particular business.
Plan the journey around the practicalities
For a broader comparison of payment methods, see the English payment guide on our companion site.
Payment methods in China · English guide
Photographs: Off Path Now owner archive. These travel scenes do not verify payment acceptance at a specific business.