How to Use the Metro in China: Tickets, QR Codes, Bank Cards and Apple Wallet

The short version

China’s metros are clean, cheap, fast and signposted in English. The only hard part is paying, and in 2026 that is much easier than it used to be:

• Tap your own contactless card at the gate in Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB and UnionPay all work across the whole network.
• Everywhere else, the best option is the Alipay transit QR code. WeChat works too.
• No card or app? Buy a single ticket from the machine. Most have an English menu.
• Fares are usually RMB 2 to 10 a trip.
• Apple Wallet: Chinese transit cards officially need a China UnionPay card to buy and top up. Most visitors do not need one.
• Every station has bag security. Allow a few extra minutes.

The payment options were checked against official Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen sources and Apple Support on 30 September 2026. Card acceptance is spreading city by city, so check for card logos on the gates.

Five ways to pay for the metro

1. Tap your Visa, Mastercard or other contactless card

This is now the simplest option in the three cities with full coverage:

• Shanghai: all lines accept contactless UnionPay, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and JCB cards, according to the Shanghai government’s metro guide.
• Beijing: all lines, including the two airport express lines, accept the same five brands at every gate since June 2025.
• Shenzhen: every gate on the whole network since September 2026.

How it works:

1. Look for the card logos on the gate reader.
2. Tap your physical card to enter. The gate charges the fare when you tap out.
3. Tap the same card to exit. If you tap in with one card and out with another, you may be charged a maximum fare.
4. One card per person. Each traveler needs their own card.

Before you go: make sure your card is contactless, has small payments without a PIN enabled, and is not blocked for use abroad. Your bank may charge a foreign transaction fee on each ride, so a card without foreign fees is best. See using foreign cards in China.

Other cities, including Guangzhou and Chengdu, accept foreign cards on some or all lines. If you do not see the logos on the gate, use a QR code or a single ticket.

2. Alipay transit QR code

Alipay has a transport QR code (乘车码, chéngchē mǎ) that works on the metro and buses in most big Chinese cities.

1. Set up Alipay and link your foreign card. See Alipay for foreigners.
2. Open Alipay and search for “Transport” (or 乘车码).
3. Choose your city and activate its metro code. Some cities ask you to agree to terms first.
4. At the gate, scan the QR code on your phone face-down on the reader. Scan again to exit.

The fare is charged to the card linked to Alipay. Turn the screen brightness up, and load the code before you reach the gate: the underground signal can be weak.

3. WeChat ride code

WeChat works the same way: search for the city’s metro mini-program or ride code in WeChat, and scan it at the gate. Your WeChat Pay must be linked to a working card. See WeChat Pay for foreigners.

4. Buy a single ticket

Every station has ticket machines, most with an English button.

1. Tap English, then choose your line and destination station on the map, or type it.
2. Choose the number of tickets.
3. Pay with cash (coins and small notes), or by scanning a QR code with Alipay or WeChat. Some machines do not take large notes.
4. Take your ticket, usually a plastic token or card. Tap it to enter and insert it into the slot to exit, where the gate keeps it. Some cities issue paper QR tickets.

A single ticket is valid only on the day you buy it. If the machine will not take your money, go to the service center (客服中心). In Shanghai, every station service center accepts Visa, Mastercard and other foreign cards.

5. Transport cards and day passes

Each city sells a stored-value transport card at station service centers. Many carry the China T-Union logo (交通联合) and also work in other cities. You usually pay a refundable deposit and top up with cash or mobile payment.

Shanghai also sells a 1-day pass (RMB 18) and a 3-day pass (RMB 45) at metro ticket booths, valid for unlimited rides on most lines. For a short stay, tapping your card is usually just as cheap.

Can I add a Chinese transit card to Apple Wallet?

This is one of the most asked questions from iPhone users. The short answer: officially only if you have a Chinese bank card.

What Apple requires. According to Apple Support, to add a transit card for China mainland to Wallet you need an iPhone 6s or later (or Apple Watch Series 3 or later), the latest iOS, an Apple Account signed in to iCloud, and a China UnionPay credit or debit card in your Wallet app. You use that UnionPay card to buy the transit card and add money. China T-Union and Shanghai cards may also charge a refundable RMB 20 deposit.

What that means for visitors:

• With a Visa or Mastercard from home, you generally cannot buy or top up a Chinese transit card in Wallet, even if you can see it in the list.
• If you do not see Chinese cards at all, travelers report that the list depends on your iPhone’s Region setting (Settings > General > Language & Region). Changing it can make them appear, but top-up is still the problem.
• Alipay top-up: in April 2026, Alipay announced that Apple Wallet transit cards in some cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Xi’an, can be opened or topped up through Alipay. This was aimed at users in China, and it may not work with an Alipay account linked to a foreign card. Treat it as a bonus, not a plan.
• Your Hong Kong Octopus card in Wallet does not work on mainland metros.

Our advice: you do not need Apple Wallet to ride the metro in China. Tap your physical contactless card where the gates accept it, and use the Alipay transit QR code elsewhere. If you live in China or stay for months with a Chinese bank card, an Apple Wallet transit card is convenient: it works with Express Mode, without unlocking your phone.

How much the metro costs

Fares are based on distance. Typical trips in the city cost RMB 2 to 10.

Shanghai fares come from the Shanghai government’s metro guide. Other fares are typical examples and can change. The ticket machine shows the exact fare before you pay.

Riding the metro, step by step

1. Plan your route. Apple Maps works well in China with metro directions in English. Google Maps is less reliable for transit. See Google Maps in China.
2. Find the station. Look for the city’s metro logo and the station name in Chinese and pinyin. Big stations have many exits, labeled with letters and numbers (A, B1, C2).
3. Go through security. Put bags on the X-ray belt. Large bottles of liquid may be checked, and staff may ask you to take a sip.
4. Pay at the gate with your card, QR code or ticket.
5. Follow the line color and the final station of the direction you want. Signs and announcements are in Chinese and English.
6. Change lines by following the Transfer signs (换乘, huànchéng). Transfers inside the station are free. Some are long walks.
7. Tap or scan out with the same card or code you used to enter, and check the exit letter for your destination.

Tips and etiquette

• Avoid rush hour if you have luggage: about 7:30 to 9:30 and 17:30 to 19:30 on weekdays. Lines such as Beijing Line 10 and Shanghai Line 2 get extremely crowded.
• Check the last train. Most metros run from about 6:00 until 22:30 or 23:00. Some lines stay open later on Fridays and Saturdays.
• No eating in the cars. Most cities ban eating on trains. Drinking water is fine.
• Let people off first, then board. On escalators, stand still and hold the handrail: many cities now ask passengers not to walk on them.
• Priority seats are for older people, pregnant women, people with disabilities and parents with small children.
• Travel with big suitcases? Most stations have lifts, but exits with lifts are not always the closest. For airport transfers with lots of luggage, a taxi or DiDi can be easier. See Shanghai airport to the city and Beijing airport to the city.

Common problems and fixes

Get around without the stress

For a first trip, the metro is the cheapest and fastest way around big cities, and paying is now simple. If you prefer not to navigate with luggage, our free trip planning service can add airport transfers and a private driver on the days you need them.