Cash in China: ATMs, Exchange and How Much to Bring

The short version

Yes, you can use cash in China, but you will rarely need much. Most people pay by phone, and visitors can do the same by linking a foreign card to Alipay or WeChat Pay. Cash is your safety net.

• Cash is legal tender. China’s central bank says no business or person may refuse RMB cash. Taxis and small traders should accept it even if they prefer mobile payment.
• Carry a small reserve, roughly RMB 500 to 1,000 per person in small notes. That is our rough suggestion for a typical city trip, not an official figure.
• Get yuan from ATMs that show your card’s logo, or at bank exchange counters.
• Keep your exchange receipts so you can change leftover yuan back when you leave.

This guide is about cash. For where your Visa, Mastercard or Amex card works as a card, see Can I use my credit card in China?

When cash is useful

Cash is not your main way to pay, but it saves the day when:

• your phone battery dies or you lose mobile data;
• your card is declined or a wallet payment is blocked for a security check;
• a small vendor’s QR code will not accept a foreign-card payment;
• you are in a rural area with weak signal;
• you want to tip a guide or driver, or pay a small fee on the spot.

What the rules say about refusing cash

China’s central bank rules (announcement No. 18 of 2020) say:

• the yuan is legal tender and no business or person may refuse it;
• taxis may offer other ways to pay, but should accept cash;
• small shops, family businesses and street vendors may offer other ways to pay, but should accept cash;
• large shops, restaurants, hotels and entertainment venues should have a way to pay in cash;
• unstaffed shops must post how you can pay and should find a way to handle cash in special cases, such as a dead phone battery, so cash may not work there directly.

In practice, some small places may not have change for a 100-yuan note. Carry small notes.

Chinese banknotes

Banks can give you small notes on request. The State Council’s guide says bank counters can exchange large notes for small ones and offer ready-made change packs with notes of different values.

How to use an ATM in China

1. Find an ATM with your card network’s logo, such as Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay. Official guidance says you can withdraw RMB at ATMs showing the logo of your card’s network.
2. Prefer machines inside bank branches, airports and large train stations. They are more reliable and safer than standalone machines. Outside major cities, the UK government warns that ATMs are limited, so withdraw before you head to rural areas.
3. Insert your card and choose English if the machine offers it.
4. Enter your PIN. You need your card’s PIN, so check you know it before you travel. If it is rejected, try an ATM of another bank before calling your own bank.
5. Choose “withdrawal” and the amount in RMB. Each machine and each card has its own limits, so a large amount may need several withdrawals.
6. Take your cash and card. Count the notes before you leave the machine.

If you are offered a conversion into your home currency, decline it. Choosing RMB lets your own bank convert the amount, which is usually cheaper. For more on card fees and currency conversion, see Can I use my credit card in China?

Is it safe to use ATMs in China?

Yes, if you take normal precautions. Canada’s travel advice notes that card and ATM fraud does occur, and suggests:

• use ATMs inside banks or reputable businesses;
• cover the keypad when you enter your PIN;
• avoid card readers that look unusual or tampered with;
• check your statements for payments you did not make.

Where to exchange money

Official guidance lists these places to exchange foreign currency for yuan:

Tourist sites with many foreign visitors are also encouraged to set up exchange points. The UK government notes that Scottish and Northern Irish banknotes cannot be exchanged in China, so bring Bank of England notes or use an ATM. Do not change money with people on the street. Canada’s advice is to exchange only at officially approved places, and it is illegal to use foreign currency for everyday payments in China.

Keep every exchange receipt. You need it to change larger amounts back when you leave.

How much cash should you bring?

There is no official figure. As a rough guide for a trip where you pay mostly by phone:

These are our planning estimates, not rules. Split cash between two places, such as your wallet and a bag, so one loss does not take it all.

Limits at the border: you may carry up to RMB 20,000 in yuan cash into or out of China per trip, and must declare foreign currency cash worth more than US$5,000. See China customs rules.

Changing yuan back when you leave

China’s foreign exchange rules let visitors change unused yuan back into foreign currency:

• With the original exchange receipt: take your passport and the receipt to a bank. The receipt can be used for 24 months from the exchange date.
• Without a receipt: you can change up to US$500 worth per day with your passport.
• At the airport after customs: at exchange counters past customs control before departure, up to US$1,000 worth per day with your passport.

If you get your yuan from an ATM, you may not have an exchange receipt, so withdraw only what you expect to spend.

Fake notes and other cash problems

Government travel advice differs on how common fake notes are. The UK warns that counterfeit notes, especially 100-yuan notes, are common, including from ATMs, and that banks will not replace them. Canada says a small number circulate, mostly in small cash payments such as taxis and small shops. Either way:

• pay with small notes so you rarely receive large notes as change;
• refuse damaged or poor-quality notes when you get change;
• pay attention in taxis and small informal businesses when handing over and receiving money;
• check 100-yuan notes carefully, including notes from ATMs, before you leave the machine or counter;
• use mobile payment for larger amounts.

Common problems and fixes

Payments are one of the things visitors worry about most before a first trip. If you would like help setting up a trip where hotels, transport and tickets are paid in advance, our free trip planning service can plan it with you. For an overview of wallets, cards and cash together, see How to pay in China.