When spending money as an expat using Alipay you have two options:
1 – Link Your Bank Card to Alipay
This is quick and easy to set up (with less caveats) but is not guaranteed to work.
Linking a bank card in Alipay is easy. Just follow these steps:
- Open Alipay
- Click the ME icon on the bottom right of the screen
- Click BANK CARDS
- Click the + icon on the top right of the screen
- Enter your bank card number, or scan your bank card
You’ll see the list of bank cards that can be linked with Alipay. These currently include Visa, Mastercard, Unionpay, and Diners Club.
NOTE || There is no American Express functionality but we believe they are looking to add this in the near future.
Now, the important thing to note with this method is that it may or may not work.
Unfortunately there is no way of knowing straight away. Just because Alipay says its supports Visa cards, it doesn’t mean your transaction will go through in China.
You’ll notice in the above screenshot my Visa card has successfully linked, but this doesn’t guarantee success.
Understanding the nature of the transaction can help you a lot.
If the vendor has applied vendor alipay account to accept payment and the vendor agrees to accept payment from credit cards, you can use alipay to pay from linked debit cards and credit cards. Big chain stores usually accept credit card payment.
If the vendor has applied vendor alipay account to accept payment and the vendor does not agree to accept payment from credit cards, you can use alipay to pay from linked debit cards or balance only.
If the vendor has not applied any vendor alipay account and uses personal alipay account to receive payment, you can use alipay to pay from debit cards or balance only. Usually small stand owners use personal alipay account to accept such payment.
So it’s important to have a back-up… hence the 2nd method…
2 – Open a Tourcard
This method is more full-proof because what you are essentially doing is opening a bank account through Alipay, and it just takes a few clicks.
There are a few downsides though, so let’s run you through it.
- Open Alipay and search TOURCARD
- Open the Tourcard mini-app (Alipay includes hundreds of mini-apps you can find by searching)
- Click ENTER
- Click USE NOW and verify your personal info
- Choose an Amount to Top Up
- Make your payment
In completing these steps you’ve effectively opened up a brand new BANK OF SHANGHAI account in a matter of minutes.
Pretty cool, right?!
You won’t get a bank card though, this is simply an account you will use inside of Alipay.
There are a few things you need to know which are a little bit of a pain in truth.
1 – There is a 10,000CNY limit.
Now, whilst this is a step forward from the previous 2,000CNY limit of the now discontinued (but essentially the same, Tourpass), it still ties our hands a bit.
Whether this is enough for you is entirely case dependent. How long are you in China for? If just a couple of weeks, or even a month – you’ll be OK.
What about if you’re in China for 3+ months? You’re going to need another solution on-top of this.
2 – There is a 5% top-up service charge.
This one is a kick up the backside. An unnecessarily large charge just to use the service, but it is what it is sadly.
That means if you want to top-up the full 10,000CNY you’ll be spending another 500CNY on top of it (see why we included it in the table above now!?)
3 – The Tourcard is only active for 6 months
Going back to those of you who are staying in China longer that 6 months… another hurdle.
The Tourcard will automatically close after 180 days of opening. If you have failed to spend all your money, no problem, it’ll be refunded to your bank upon expiration.
The good news is you can open a new Tourcard after these 6 months have expired.
4 – Only certain banks will work
You’ll notice in the screenshot that only Visa, Mastercard, Diners Club and JCB account holders can use Tourcard.
Tourcard is clearly a useful feature and makes the life of a foreigner in China easier, but it’s important to be aware of the limitations.
3 – Get a Friend to Send Your Money
This is probably the easiest solution of all but will rely on who you know in China already.
If you have a friend in China who has a Chinese bank account and a verified Alipay account, they can quite simply fire over some money to your account.
Is all you will need is a verified Alipay account yourself (i.e. upload scan of passport, take selfie etc) and you’ll be good to go.
You’ll then just need to find a way to pay them back!
Anyway… we mentioned other solutions for those of you who are planning to stay longer and spend more than 10,000CNY…
Alipay for Foreigners || Other Solutions
Firstly – whilst it goes against everything we’ve said… it’s still worth taking some cash to China.
You won’t be able to use it much, but it’s always worth having this back-up.
Perhaps you owe a friend some money, maybe you’re in a taxi, or you are wanting to buy some souvenirs from the local stalls?
In all of these situations cash can still work – so whilst it’s not king in China anymore… have a bit to hand before taking off for China.
Secondly – get a Wise account. Wise is an excellent option for those of you who travel and regularly hold multiple currencies.
Wise allows you to hold currencies from all over the world including USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, HKD, KRW… and yes, you guessed it CNY (Chinese Yuan)!