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I asked to pay with credit card in China and this literally happened

3/3 one more thing, if you want to bring film to Mainland China, most places (metro, HSR, tourist site entrances) don't insist on scanning your film, I only had it happen once at PEK.

Just came back from China it wasn't that bad actually. I downloaded WeChat & AliPay before leaving. Attached a Wise card to AliPay and had no issues.

When it was time to pay my US credit card didn't work. The owner said it was free and welcome to China.

it's just too confusing ... as a foreign tourist. you scan a mini program to buy a coffee and it asks for a +86 number which you don't have. stores like luckin don't even have a scanner to run your alipay code so the bartender has to push you to the side for 3 minutes.

AliPay has accepted international credit cards for years. Cash is also accepted by law although it is much less preferred. In major cities like Shanghai lots of places can take a CC as well. Source: I travel to China for business often

I was able to use it just fine, even WeChat pay? ... to set up though. And they have different Didi, Alipay and WeChat payment systems for HK, China and others that you have to sign up for separately.

Many airline staff serving smaller international airports still do not know about 240-hour visa-free travel to China.

When I refused the permission, my cab was canceled

First time traveling to China? Save this! Before you arrive, download Alipay + Amap for payments, transport, food and more.

6 days in China. $0 visa. 100% worth it. The 144-hour visa-free transit policy is your shortcut to the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and the best food of your life.

A travel from usa to china and destination being lets say japan, then from japan u get to fly back to usa, or if travel to hainan, then u get 30 days visa free

Eligible travellers can transit through China for up to 240 hours (10 days) without a visa if they meet the requirements, including having a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region.

Do this before you fly: passport verify, bind Visa/Mastercard, install a China travel eSIM while you still have open Wi-Fi. Cash alone strands you at the dumpling window.

Using UnionPay cards to pay for the bus there will get a 10% discount. Kind of surprising since there aren't any information or announcement about this. However, the metro doesn't support credit or debit cards so a China T-union card is required.

Im not trying yo advertise for trip. But for china i needed it as a foreigner. Also i only travelled to big cities - beijing, shanghai. Zhangjiejie, yangshul, yunnan etc. Then didi everywhere. Ordering food with no local number i cant figure it out though.

I just came back from china two days ago. Its EZ to travel. Download alipay and wechat. Link your cc. Get an esim from trip.com. Allow your bank to send you txt msgs. Book hotels and trains on trip.com. Download amap. Use apple translate.

This also means I can go into Mainland China visa-free (for business, travel, or investments) for 90 days per trip.

Just remember how to say passport (they will ask it a lot at hotel, train station, attractions etc) And download WeChat/alipay

This year, you can just tap an international bank card at the Shenzhen Metro gate and ride.

Alipay + WeChat Pay. Bind a real card to both before you fly. Some merchant QRs are Alipay-only, some WeChat Pay-only. Have both ready.

Option 2 – Tap with Your Foreign Bank Card •You can use your international Visa or Mastercard directly! •Just tap your card on the reader at the gate. •✅ No Chinese phone number, no app, no Chinese needed – super easy!

Since Aug 20, Kyrgyz citizens can also visit China for up to 10 days visa-free.

The card can also be linked with Alipay. If you've been to China, you know how important Alipay is for everyday spending.

G340 took me to the capital in 3h55m, a metro transfer later and I had plenty of time to board. High speed rail rocks.

I flew yvr→pvg→kmg→dac, unaware I needed a transit visa. With just 1.5 hrs left, airport staff got me a free 24-hr visa

Free hotel in China during layover with Hainan Airlines

One of the under-appreciated features of China's digital transaction apps Alipay and WeChat Pay is how comprehensive they are... your phone replaces your wallet.

Cash is pretty rare in China these days, almost everyone pays with WeChat Pay or Alipay. But in small towns, you'll still often see some older people used to paying with cash.

I am at the Guangzhou night market, and it is unlike any other place I've visited in China. It feels more akin to Vietnam or Thailand than what I'm used to here.

For those who are moslems that want to visit/work at china, china is halal friendly... To know about halal food, you must see 清真 (qing zhen) word.

You can use a US PayPal account in China by paying with WeChat Pay. Just note that you’re forced to use PayPal’s exchange rate, which is usually a pretty bad deal.

Stayed in a spacious king-size room + this huge buffet breakfast in China. Total cost: 135 RMB (~$19), with Ctrip coupon covered 114 RMB.

China is indeed more accommodating for early checking in or late checking out... they're not as strict as western countries

"I have never touched cash in China, even for small vendors at night markets" — AliPay and WeChat Pay are by far the easiest systems to use even as an American.

One of the most maddening things I experience as a tourist there is the majority will not let people exit the subway car before they start pushing to enter.

Maybe Alipay of China is the rare example of accepting foreign phone numbers.

Did it in china.. guide ordered twelve chicken and rice things for us.. arrived at the next station and there they were... Train only stops for four minutes

was nervous almost the whole day bc i couldn't check if my alipay and wechatpay are working like yes card linked successfully but anyway i kinda checked it but still NOT SURE i'll be able to fully check only when i'm in china

Its the same thing when my relatives use TNG e-wallet in China. It also works, and we don't need to sign up using Chinese phone number or something.

Shangdong airlines is actually one I've never flown on, and I've flown on many Chinese airlines!

Yep! Meituan was a bit annoying to setup, my gf had a Chinese number so we got it sorted.

first-time tourists struggle just to set up Meituan or buy subway tickets without a local phone number.

Make sure you go to Dali, it's not far from Kunming by train. I was there in Feb!

Nope haven't had a delay yet, I was more referring to metro trains, but also haven't had delayed on intra city trains...yet.

Pretty affordable in China too, chinese food large size bowl is often 18rmb ($2.68)

The population density and huge amounts of orders in Chinese cities, means the delivery fees are low

Traveling with China Eastern from DEL to PVG on Aug 23 was frustrating. Payment counter forced me to pay cash, claiming no card/UPI was allowed.

piggy u just use alipay in china. link ur card on the app. I was just there for 10 days , no cash needed

I didn't realize that the Beijing subway was 6 stories DOWN till I saw the map in person with an english translation.

I honestly can't remember the last time I paid for anything with cash in China. It must be at least five years ago.

I like how they handled it when I was in China: no tips - the price for a good or service included the wages for the workers.

Canadians can now enter China visa free for up to 30 days (tourism, business, family visits) through 2026.

You can now get up to 10 days visa-free in China. Go visit Shanghai, then Tokyo, Kyoto/Osaka, and Sapporo.

The Hotel we stayed prepared it. We stayed at Upper House Chengdu

I was in China a couple times recently and they all use WeChat and Alipay for everything.

Just fly to China and see her for themselves / Free 30day visa for most countries

when I was in China, I ate at a vegetarian restaurant that had all sorts of meat-like dishes, so there's lots of options for you

I think I spent more on the uber home from airport than I did on didi over 2 months in China

I was in China last year ...visa free....and i did pass four control post in 15 minutes...

China Arrival Card — official form now in Thai; fill in advance on the official site

0928 23 AUG fine food at guangzhoudong train station before DiDi to hotel

on the bright side we can go to china visa free until the end of december

It's a good exercise to walk+APM+walk 30min to get from the gate to the exit in the PEK airport at 10pm.

EU passports visa-free 30 days until 2026-12-31; US 240-hour transit if onward to a third destination.

China had the best and cheapest metro of all countries / 39 cent per trip and its super easy with alipay.

You can come Hongkong on 14 days visa free (pre arrival required) and then visit Shenzhen Guangzhou (triangle) in group visa, valid for three days from HK travel agency

Foreigner DiDi is cheap; locals also use Huaxiaozhu for cheaper / scheduled rides.

Set up Alipay and WeChat Pay before a SG–China trip.

I spent 14 days in China, and it was my favorite trip in a while… Here is what I liked about China, and what I didn't.

Larger hotels usually accept foreign guests, but many small cheap hotels still don’t, often because they don’t want to deal with passport registration.

Skip random taxis — use Didi; set up WeChat Pay + Alipay; buy eSIM on Trip.com.

Zhangjiajie 5-day route plus 144-hour transit and Alipay/Didi tips.

Is vegetarian and gluten-safe food available for celiac travelers in China?

Henan for a bowl of huimian.

December route: Japan → Beijing → Chengdu.

Always carry your physical passport (digital copies don’t work for trains/hotels)

Chongqing's stacked roads — try driving through the 3D terrain.

Xizang: snow mountains, monasteries, ethnic cultures.

$180/night hotel in China (Marriott near Shanghai).

US citizens still need a visa stamped in the passport.

Shenzhen 3D-printing fair, then bullet train to Hong Kong.

Gansu/Qinghai: some high-altitude hotels have oxygen rooms.

Food route: Guangzhou → Chaozhou → Quanzhou, and Changsha → Chongqing → Chengdu.

Food is better and cheaper.

Start in Xi’an: Terracotta Warriors, city walls, Mount Hua.

A weekend in Beijing, highly recommended.

With eSim (Airalo), everything worked. WeChat and Alipay and Trip.com is all you need. All email and WhatsApp worked.

China airports give free luggage carts that also charge your phone.

Temporary visa-waiver for some countries (incl. Canada) for short stays.

Food, hotels and transport are high quality and low priced.

Just landed in Shanghai: shrimp wontons, quiet EV streets.

If you are travelling in China as a foreigner... 1. Hotel, train and plane - trip.com 2. Payment - WeChat and Alipay 3. Navigation - Amap Global 4. Ride - DiDi

Vegetarian, no egg/meat/fish — what food options in China?

the best vegetarian restaurant I kept going back to in Beijing (庆春朴门 / truffle fried rice)

China has several non-spicy pure vegetarian dishes; vegan exists too.

Mainland China Buddhist veggie buffets are the safe option vs fish broth in Japan / pork in HK tofu.

Halal restaurants are easy to find; some campuses cook for Uyghur students.

Many university campuses have a separate halal canteen.

Strictly vegan Indian visitor said options were scarce and he left early.

WeChat and Alipay allow foreign credit cards and they’re accepted everywhere. You can book a car with didi or train tickets with Trip

Tofu in China is often served with meat; vegan is possible but not easy everywhere.

Beijing arrival is hard: little English; Alipay then makes Didi usable.

Got Alipay working as a proxy into Didi and Meituan.

Shanghai is easy with Amap, metro, bikes, Didi; Alipay onboarding still hard.