Money & payments: Alipay/WeChat Pay for foreigners

Install Alipay and WeChat tonight, link a Visa or Mastercard in each, and complete the passport verification while you're still at home. That's 90% of money logistics in China solved. The remaining 10%: carry ¥500–1,000 in cash for the rare stall that can't process a foreign card, and know where the ATMs are.

Why both apps? Because they fail differently. Alipay is the more foreigner-friendly of the two; WeChat Pay is accepted in a few places Alipay isn't (and vice versa). Having both means a declined payment is an inconvenience, not a standoff. You'll need working data for any of this — sort that first with our internet, eSIM & VPN guide.

Do all of this on your home number, on home Wi-Fi, days before departure. It's dramatically easier than doing it jet-lagged at arrivals, and it belongs on the same pre-flight checklist as your visa or visa-free eligibility.

Alipay:

1. Download the international Alipay app and register with your home mobile number (an SMS code arrives normally — no Chinese number needed).
2. Add your card: Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Amex, Discover and Diners Club are all supported. No Chinese bank account required — that requirement was scrapped in 2023.
3. Complete identity verification (Me → settings → identity verification) with your passport photo and details. This is the step that unlocks full limits.

WeChat Pay:

1. Install WeChat and register with your home number.
2. Go to Me → Services → Wallet → Cards and add your foreign card.
3. Complete real-name verification with your passport when prompted. WeChat occasionally asks for an extra verification step from an existing user — one more reason to set it up early rather than at the airport.

Test both with a small transaction if you can (some travelers make a tiny in-app purchase or top up a transport card). If you hit a wall at home, the fix is usually your own bank blocking the setup charge — call them, then retry. The old "Tour Pass" prepaid workaround is dead; direct card linking replaced it.

Every merchant in China, from a department store to a grandma selling roujiamo, displays a QR code — usually both the green WeChat one and the blue Alipay one. Two flows cover everything:

• You scan them. Open the app, tap "Scan," point at their code, type the amount, confirm with your payment password. This is the default at street stalls, small restaurants and markets — including most of the Muslim Quarter.
• They scan you. Tap "Pay/Receive" to show your payment code; the cashier scans it. Amount is entered on their side — you just check the screen. Default in supermarkets, convenience stores and anywhere with a scanner.

Payments debit your linked foreign card directly — there's no wallet balance to top up. For transport, both apps also generate a transit QR code (look for "Transport" in Alipay) that opens metro gates and works on buses; details in the getting around guide. One habit worth building: screenshot nothing. Payment codes regenerate, but your boarding passes, hotel address in Chinese and train bookings are worth saving offline.

The official ceiling for overseas visitors, after passport verification, is USD 5,000 per transaction and USD 50,000 per year — raised to that level in March 2024 and unchanged as of July 2026. Your own card issuer's daily limits apply on top and are usually the binding constraint.

On fees: as of July 2026, foreign-card transactions above roughly ¥200 attract a ~3% service fee in both apps, while smaller purchases are effectively fee-free. This policy has shifted before, so check the notice in-app when you link your card; either way, the fee doesn't apply to everyday street food and metro rides.

When a payment fails, it's almost always one of these:

• Your home bank blocked it. Fraud systems hate sudden Chinese QR charges. Tell your bank you're traveling before you leave, and bring a second card from a different bank.
• The vendor's code is a personal transfer code, not a merchant code — personal codes sometimes reject foreign-linked cards. Try the other app, or pay cash.
• You've hit a cap because you skipped passport verification, which carries much lower limits. Go back and verify.
• No data connection. QR payment needs internet on your phone, not the vendor's. See internet & eSIM.

Attraction tickets are a special case: places like the Terracotta Army use online real-name booking, paid inside the apps — another reason to finish setup before your trip.

Cash hasn't disappeared — it's legally required to be accepted, and nobody will refuse your notes. But change can be scarce at small stalls, and some vendors only see cash a few times a week. Treat yuan as your backup layer, not your primary one: ¥500–1,000 per person covers emergencies for a typical trip.

• ATMs: Bank of China and ICBC machines reliably accept foreign Visa and Mastercard (Plus/Cirrus networks). Look for the card-network logos on the machine; big-branch machines inside the bank lobby are the safest bet. When the ATM offers to charge you in your home currency, decline — always choose to be billed in CNY and let your own bank do the conversion.
• Currency exchange: counters at the airport and major Bank of China branches exchange cash at fair-ish rates; bring your passport. Rates at your home bank before departure are usually worse.
• How much to withdraw: one ¥500–1,000 withdrawal at the start is typically all you need — you're paying by phone for almost everything.

Tipping is not a thing in China. Not in restaurants, not in taxis, not for hotel staff — it's neither expected nor, in most contexts, even understood. Private guides and drivers on multi-day bookings are the one gray zone where a tip is appreciated, but never required. If someone deserves thanks, a good review or a small gift does the job.

Daily costs in Xi'an (as of July 2026, per person):

• Street breakfast (hulatang, baozi, soy milk): ¥10–20
• Noodle lunch — a bowl of biangbiang noodles: ¥20–35
• Sit-down dinner for one at a good local restaurant: ¥60–120
• Coffee: ¥25–35; Tsingtao beer: ¥8–15 in a shop
• Metro ride: ¥2–8; DiDi across town: ¥15–40
• Sight tickets: Terracotta Army ¥120, City Wall ¥54
• Mid-range hotel: ¥400–800 per night inside the city wall

A realistic mid-range budget is ¥300–600 per day excluding accommodation — less if you eat like a local, which you should. Our 3-day itinerary adds up what a full visit actually costs.