Alipay for Foreigners: Step-by-Step Setup and Card Fixes

The short version

You can use Alipay in China as a foreign tourist. You do not need a Chinese bank account, a Chinese phone number or a Chinese ID card.

Set it up at home, at least a few days before you fly:

1. Install the Alipay app from the App Store or Google Play.
2. Sign up with your home mobile number.
3. Link an international card, ideally a physical Visa or Mastercard credit card.
4. Verify your identity with your passport when the app asks.
5. Set a six-digit payment password and turn on Face ID or fingerprint.
6. Tell your bank you will be paying in China, then keep a second card and some RMB cash as backup.

In China you then pay in one of two ways: scan the merchant’s QR code, or show your own payment code for the cashier to scan. Your card is charged in your home currency.

This guide covers each step, the limits and fees, and what to do when a card will not link or a payment fails. For how Alipay fits alongside WeChat Pay, cards and cash, see the overview How to pay in China.

What you need before you start

The number one reason setups fail in China is a login code sent to a home number the traveler can no longer receive. Before you fly, read How to set up your phone before China.

Step 1: Download the right app

Download Alipay by Alipay.com (the blue icon) from your usual app store. It is the same app Chinese users have. Once it detects a non-Chinese number, it switches to English and shows options for international visitors.

Do not install AlipayHK by mistake. That is a separate wallet for Hong Kong residents and needs a Hong Kong identity.

If your home country has a wallet that works with Alipay+, you may be able to pay at many Alipay merchants in China with that wallet instead. Alipay’s own list of accepted wallets changes, so check your wallet’s travel page. For most travelers from Europe, North America and Australia, the main Alipay app is the simplest choice.

Step 2: Sign up with your home mobile number

1. Open Alipay and tap Sign up.
2. Choose your country code and enter your mobile number exactly as your phone receives texts.
3. Enter the text message code.
4. Accept the terms after reading them.

If the code does not arrive, check that the number is right, wait a minute and request a new code. Do not tap resend again and again, because repeated requests can trigger a temporary block. Some virtual phone numbers are rejected, so use a real carrier number.

Step 3: Link your international card

1. On the home screen, tap Add card (it may appear under Account or Bank cards).
2. Enter the card number, expiry date and security code.
3. Enter your name exactly as it appears on the card, plus any billing details requested.
4. Complete the check from your bank: a 3-D Secure code, a push notice in your bank app, or a text message.

Alipay accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Discover, Diners Club International and UnionPay International cards.

Which card should you use? A physical credit card with no foreign transaction fee is the best first choice. Debit cards often work but are refused more often. Prepaid, gift, virtual and some fintech cards are the most likely to be declined. Bring a second card from a different bank and network in case the first one is blocked.

Step 4: Verify your identity

Alipay may ask you to verify your identity straight away or only once your spending passes a set amount. Chinese regulators allow small mobile payments by foreign visitors without ID details, but you should expect a passport check before larger payments.

The check usually asks for:

• A photo or scan of your passport photo page
• Your name, nationality, passport number and expiry date
• Sometimes a face scan

Do it before you travel. It can take from a few minutes to a few days to be approved. You do not want to learn about it at a restaurant counter. If your passport changes, update your identity details before you use the account again.

Step 5: Set your password and language

• Payment password: a six-digit PIN used to confirm payments. Do not use your birthday or the same PIN as your bank card.
• Face ID or fingerprint: faster at checkouts. Turn it on under the security or payment settings.
• Language: Alipay supports English and several other languages. If some screens still show Chinese, check the language setting under Settings. Mini-programs made by other companies may not be translated.

Step 6: Test it before you rely on it

You cannot easily make a real payment to a Chinese shop from abroad. Before you fly, the best signs that everything works are:

• The card shows as linked with no warning
• Your identity status shows as verified
• Your bank app shows the small check charge approved (if the bank shows one)

Make your first real payment small, for example a convenience store drink or a metro ride. Do that while you still have cash in your pocket.

How to pay in a shop

Option 1: Show your code (merchant scans you). Tap Pay to show a barcode and QR code. The cashier scans it and the payment goes through, sometimes after you enter your PIN. This is the usual method in supermarkets, chain stores, restaurants and hotels.

Option 2: Scan their code (you scan the merchant). Tap Scan, point it at the printed QR code on the counter, type the amount in RMB, check the merchant name and confirm. This is common at small stalls, markets and taxis. Show the cashier the success screen.

Alipay Tap! Some shops have a small tap device at the checkout. You unlock your phone and hold it against the device. It works like the payment code but is faster.

Always check the amount and the name of who you are paying before you confirm. A printed QR code can be covered with a fake sticker. If a code looks tampered with, pay by showing your own code instead.

What else you can do with Alipay

Inside the app, mini-programs from other companies let you:

• Call a taxi or ride-hail car, with the fare paid automatically at the end of the trip
• Ride the metro and buses with a transit QR code in many cities. Support for foreign-card users varies by city, so buy a ticket at the machine if the code will not open.
• Book hotels, flights and train tickets, and buy some attraction tickets
• Order food and pay at restaurants that use table QR codes
• Rent power banks and bikes in many cities

Some services still ask for a Chinese phone number or Chinese ID. When one does, use the international version of that company’s own app, or an English booking platform, instead.

Limits and fees

The per-payment and yearly limits come from China’s central bank measures for overseas visitors, announced in 2024. Alipay can set lower limits for a new or unverified account.

Fees change. Before you tap confirm, read the fee line on the payment screen. To keep your bank’s fees low, use a card with no foreign transaction fee, and choose to be charged in RMB if you are ever given the choice.

When your card will not link: causes and fixes

If you are still stuck, use Help or Customer service in the Alipay app. Inside China, Alipay’s customer service number is 95188. Tell them you are an international user with a foreign card, and have your passport ready.

When a payment fails at the counter

1. Read the error message. “Risk control”, “payment unsuccessful” and “card declined” point to different fixes.
2. Try the other method. If scanning the merchant’s code fails, show your own code, and the other way round.
3. Switch cards. Choose another linked card in the payment method list before you confirm.
4. Check the connection. Weak mobile data is a common silent cause. Move to where signal is better or join Wi-Fi.
5. Pay another way. Use a physical card or cash. That is why you carry a backup.

Some small vendors use personal collection codes rather than business accounts, and these accept foreign-card payments less reliably. Keep small RMB notes for street food and markets.

If your account is restricted

Alipay sometimes restricts an account after unusual activity. Examples include many failed card attempts, logins from new devices, a mismatch in identity details, or payments that look like transfers.

To get it working again:

1. Open the message in the app and follow the verification steps it lists. These are often a passport check, a face scan or a text code.
2. Do not open a second account with the same passport and number, because that makes the review harder.
3. Contact Alipay customer service in the app if the restriction stays.

A restriction can take time to clear. This is another reason to set up both Alipay and a backup payment method before you travel.

What foreigners usually cannot do with Alipay

• Top up an Alipay balance without a Chinese bank card
• Send money to friends or send red packets
• Use savings and investment products such as Yu’e Bao
• Receive payments as a seller

To split a bill, have one person pay the merchant and settle up later with your usual home banking apps.

Is Alipay safe for foreigners?

Alipay is one of the two main payment networks in China and is used by hundreds of millions of people every day. The practical risks for visitors are ordinary ones:

• QR code tampering: always check the payee name before you confirm.
• Phone theft: use a strong screen lock, a separate payment PIN and Face ID.
• Fake support calls or messages: Alipay will not ask you for your password or full card number by phone.

You are sharing identity and payment data with a Chinese company. If that concerns you, pay with a physical card and cash where you can. Know that daily life in many places will be less convenient.

Your backup plan

No single payment method works every time. A sensible setup for a China trip is:

• Alipay with one card linked
• WeChat with a card linked, as a second wallet
• A second physical card from a different bank
• Some RMB cash in small notes

Also plan how you will get data on day one so the app can connect. See our China eSIM guide. If you would like help planning the rest of the trip, our free trip planning service can build it around how you prefer to pay.