How Foreigners Can Use AliPay in China? Mobile Payments, Rent a bike, take the Metro, Order food 

Glad you liked it. Thanks.

Glad you liked it!! Thanks and all the best for your trip to China 🇨🇳

Thanks for watching! Hope it’s useful to you.

Hey thanks and so glad that this video has been helpful. Enjoy your trip to China!

Hahaha thanks for watching. So glad you find it helpful!

Thanks and glad that it’d been useful.

Great! Thanks for watching. Wishing you a good trip to China so that you can also experience it for yourself.

Glad it was helpful! 🙏

Glad it was helpful! Have a safe and fruitful trip!

Glad you find the video helpful! Yes, everything should work and you will have an enjoyable and fun-filled experience in China!

👍

Thanks and so glad that you enjoyed the video.

Glad it was helpful! Germany? That’s quite far from where I am currently, Singapore 🇸🇬. Hope to see u in this part of the world!

Glad you like them!

That’s sounds like a wonderful idea. Thanks for the suggestion.

It's.works .. hurray

@@andriono08 That’s fabulous! Enjoy your trip in China!

@jng4480. Get a VPN before u travel back to China. This allow u to access to Google, search places to visit.... Download all the app u need as u won't able to download back there. I got one before I went back to China but after 4 days, I get block and couldn't have access to anything. Depend where u go in China. In the South, many places still accept cash but no credit card. In the north, like Shanghai, it's only WeChat/ AliExpress.

Thanks and hope the video has been helpful to you.

@@gibbontravelogue , thank you for your video. From your accent I am sure you are a Singaporean. May I ask if I get a temporary China mobile sim card in China when I have arrived in China. Do I have to setup this Alipay App only when I get the temporary sim card. Because I will be only using the China mobile sim card throughout my holiday in China.

@@panyaboonc5621 Preferably not, you should use your own country’s SIM card number to register for Alipay.

@@gibbontravelogue , Thank you very much for your prompt replied. Singaporean efficiency is highly appreciated.

Thanks for watching!

Thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed the video!

Hey, yes, foreign-issued credit card can now be linked to both Alipay and WeChat pay. As for your phone, you can consider an e-sim such as Nomad, Airalo etc just download the app.

You’re welcome 😊 Hope it’s been helpful.

Alipay Tourpass has been discontinued since Mar 2023. So it wouldn’t work. Link your credit or debit card to the Alipay account and it should work. Give it a try

@@gibbontravelogue tourpass has been discontinued but replaced by tourcard, still active and I've been in correspondence with them

Yah, I suppose there are services that remain inaccessible to foreigners.

@@gibbontravelogue this morning I tried again with different company. This it asked for local bank card as guarantee of deposit 98 yuan. Lol maybe we wait for a little short time it enables for foreigners just like what Alipay did 😃

@@adibmajid9886 Interesting. You can also consider getting a compact power bank so that you don’t have to rent one

Actually, I don’t suggest that. My experience is that the money got stuck for a while till the verification was completed.

Glad you find this video helpful. Yes, you should download WeChat and Alipay and link them to your credit or debit card before travelling to China.

Oh, did you try the Hello Bike? I don’t have a Chinese phone number too but it can be accessed through the Alipay app as the verification has already been done there.

@@gibbontravelogue Yes. It still asks for a phone number and sms verification.

@gibbontravelogue @OlisBigPicture After asking people around, I finally found out what the problem was. I'm supposed to use my new phone number from the simcard bought here in China. Now I'm able to get the verification codes and use the bikes. Thanks anyways.

@@Righteous1ist Great that you have solved the mystery! And thanks for sharing with all of us here!

No problem. If u subscribe to your local telco roaming services, you will be able to use these apps seamlessly. Maybe with the exception of TikTok

Yes, you can use a Chinese prepaid card for Chinese apps like WeChat and Alipay but not your everyday app like facebook, RU-vid and WhatsApp.

If that is the case, you can use your Alipay to pay for the purchase of the train or subway tickets

Yes, I understand that this is a new process to make it easier for new users. Once, you need a higher limit or more services, it will request for more information and verification.

Hey, thanks. Yes, the WeChat account can be used at all Chinese merchants, both online and offline.

The merchant may not be able to ship for you, and they will most likely cancel the order.

@@625as-pj5mg of course, one has to check if the delivery covers the country/address that one is from.

@@gibbontravelogue Chinese online stores serve China, and foreign trade services are in charge of foreign trade companies

Do set up the WeChat account in your home country with your local phone number first, as I remember that a code will be sent to your mobile number for verification. Subsequently, you will only need data to operate the app.

Yes, you will have to.

Hey, for foreigners, the use of the wallet is not possible as you require a Chinese bank account. You may only link your Alipay account to your credit card for payments which is also possible for your purchases on taobao.

Thanks and so glad that the video has been helpful for you. Yes, all Visa, Mastercard and JCB can be linked to Alipay.

It doesn’t matter which SIM card u use, as long as you have mobile data, the app on your phone will work.

Hey, no need to at the point of registration. You will need to provide a copy of your passport for full verification for a higher limit and more services.

If you are using your local telco roaming service, then you don’t need a VPN

No need to have a Chinese phone number, just use your own local number to register for an Alipay account.

Hey, yes you can! You don't need to have a Chinese phone number to register for an Alipay or WeChat account. You can simply register with your US phone number. Once you have registered, you can link your debit or credit card to the account for payments in China. Give it a go today! Let me know if it works

Hey, no need to. In large cities like Guangzhou, there are so many places that you can leave the bike. As long is it is a designated bike park, you are fine. Hope you find the video useful.

Hey, so glad you it helpful. The Changi app has a pay icon at the bottom menu. Tap on that, and you can see the wallet option at the bottom. To use it, you will need to top that up using your bank account. When making payments in China, let the cashier know that you are paying by Alipay.

Thanks for watching and glad that it has been helpful to you. The Transport button is right at the top, alongside Scan, Pay/receive and Pocket. You should see it. My app version is the latest 10.5.80. When u r in your home country and you tap on Transport, u will get a message that this service is only available to Chinese Mainland users. This is normal, you will be able to use once you arrive in China.

@@gibbontravelogue ah yes, i have to change my location for the "transport" option to appear 😂😂😂 thank you!!

No. Only for transactions above RMB200, there is a fee of 3%

This is just a payment mode. The cashier will still give you a receipt.

Hey, yes, there is a verification process that you will need to go through.

Once you bind your US credit card to Alipay, all purchases in China will be reflected on your Alipay account. They will be in RMB. In your credit card statement in the US, you will see individual transactions reflected in US$ with the exchange rate charged by your card issuer with Alipay as the merchant. Different card issuers will have differing fx rates but normally banks will have a pretty high markup of the fx.

You are most welcome. Where are you from? Suggest that you subscribe to data roaming services provided by your telco. Always more reliable. Plus, many sites and apps like google, facebook etc will not work in China, unless you use a VPN.

@@gibbontravelogue , I know I did not have data roaming since telco in my country charge very high price for that, I did not including it. I think next time I visit I will buy Chine SIM card and see if it works

Thanks for watching. Tour Pass has been discontinued by Alipay and this new access is so much more convenient.

@@gibbontravelogue Hi, nice clear video, thx. i wondered why you didn't mention Tour Card ...... Hasn't this replaced tour pass as a kind of 'wallet' for foreigners so you can use funds in alipay without worrying whether your card issuer will approve the transaction? I know Tour card has some time restrictions and fees, but at least your money is there in Alipay, and separated from your home bank a/c or cc.

@@fivebats10 Yes, Tourpass has been discontinued. This means of payments ie linking credit card or debit card to your Alipay account is what allows foreigners to make purchases in China.

Yes, I understand that you can still use Alipay as an unverified user. But the limits are low and functionalities restrictive.

No, Alipay doesn’t work offline, you will need internet access. Either from your telco roaming services or a 3rd party e-sim. It doesn’t have to be a China issued SIM card

Oh no no. No need. My advice is to set up both WeChat and Alipay in case one doesn’t work.

@@gibbontravelogue thanks so much, friend!

Yes, the wallet is not available to foreigners. So just link your credit card and make the payment.

Hi! No fee if below 200rmb. If above, there is a 3% charge.

That’s correct, your purchase using Alipay will debit directly from your bank account. There is no deposits and no topping up to a wallet.

Yes, I had a friend that sent me money into my foreigner’s Alipay account. It take a long time to finally able to utilize the funds as the verification process can be quite complex. So my advise is just to stick to the non wallet option.

@@gibbontravelogue Thank you for your reply

Hey, at 3:07, there is a screen shot of the Alipay interface. My 3rd button is Transport. The transport button only works when you are physically in China but even if you are in your own country, the transport button should be there. Try updating the app. My version is 10.5.88

@gibbontravelogue thank you for quick response, i am using android phone and it seems from Google Play store, their latest is 10.5.70. not sure how significant the update from 10.5.70 --> to 10.5.88 is, but unfortunately, i don't see the Transport button on my user interface. The 3rd button for me is Collect. thank you for referencing the 3:07, yeah i dont have that option. I'll probably try next week to see if the app updates itself to 10.5.88 or I may have to try it on an iPhone, which you have. But i'm sure there is something i'm missing or something isn't right or change, etc. Anyhow I appreciate the help. I don't think the "Transport" is a big issue for me. It looked very convienent for metro use. I could have imagine myself at metros scanning rather than using a physical metro cards to top up and scan. Thanks again Gibbontravelogue for your time and effort in these. If there is any new update or progress on my side, ill respond.

@@WM-eg4gh Hey, you are most welcome. I’m sure you will have a great time in China despite this!

@@gibbontravelogue Thanks! I found out the reason. Apparently I needed to allow the app to have Locations enabled. Also, Alipay needed to have the appropriate City on the top left. So when the top left says "City", I get the "Collect" option. But when I am or choose the relevant city (i.e. Beijing, Hong Kong, etc) the "Collect" option becomes "Transport". should anyone come across this, hope this will help. since i aint in China yet, i didn't see the reason to enable Location for the app. now my next mission is trying to order high-speed rail tickets but somehow find a way to reserve seats in advance. i heard some people could order KFC and take-away meals whilst on the travel.

@@WM-eg4gh This is excellent! If you are keen to take the high speed train, you can check this out ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-MKxNpwAf63Y.htmlsi=cMhHwPZsd50frx-y

Yes, it will work once you arrive in China. Dun worry.

@@gibbontravelogue Thanks for replying so quickly! Much appreciated. Can AMEX be used for payment outside the app (eg: shopping malls) Can use contactless payment using credit card (eg paywave) ? Or everything has to be done via the app? The Changi payment gateway works with both Alipay and WeChat pay QR codes? The 3% transaction fee is on top of the 3-3.25% FCY fee charged by the card? Ie 6-6.25% total?

@@suprememoment6060 wow that’s a lot of questions. First of all credit cards like Amex are not readily accepted except for some really big merchants. Changi App can be used on Alipay QR codes but many of the QR codes now are unified ie both Alipay and WeChat can use. The 3% is added on top of your transaction regardless of the FX markup

@@gibbontravelogue Thanks for helping out! Noob here so trying to figure things out before I head over. :P Your videos are very informative. Thanks

@@suprememoment6060 have a great trip!!!

And is there a difference between me scanning the static QR code of the merchant vs the merchant scanning my dynamic QR code within Alipay? I noticed that if the merchant scans my QR code it usually (99%+) works everytime, while if I scan the merchant/store code Alipay usually throws the red text error "Your bank declined this transaction due to fraud bla bla bla" even though when I contact my bank they say they didn't decline any transaction whatsoever.

Yes, there is a daily limit of US$5k, which is recently revised. Perhaps you can check if you are completely verified. If you are not verified adequately, the limits are lower.

Hmm, I’m not sure why this is so. If all fails, i suggest you go to plan B. Download and use WeChat Pay instead. Always good to have a back up plan

It’s a few imposed by Alipay for all countries except China.

Hey, not sure if they are any apps in India that uses the Alipay payments rails and absorbs the 3% fees. If there aren’t any, one way to avoid it is to break the transaction into smaller transactions if it is possible. For example, if the payment is for 300rmb, you can ask to pay it two times for 200rmb and 100rmb.

Yes, you can. Just below the QR code generated by your Alipay app, you can select your preferred credit card.

Thanks for sharing.

Is it a must to upload your passport into Alipay? Can we manually input our Singapore passport number?

@@laytintan6889 It is part of the verification process, so it needed.

Changi App is an app which contains a wallet for Singapore residents and it allows users to make payments in China using Alipay. Are you from Singapore?🇸🇬

​@@gibbontravelogue How to use the Changi App in china?

@@steventay Download the app. It’s a digital wallet so top it up and then use it to scan Alipay QR codes.

@@gibbontravelogue must i use topup to the e-money or can i put credit card in wallet? e-money store in sgd, when use in other currently, which rate follow?

@@steventay cannot link to credit card. It’s a digital wallet which you need to top up using Paynow.

Mine is the latest version 8.4.8

Glad it was helpful! Yes, I’ve ever tried scanning the Alipay+ QR code in Singapore and it works, although the payment will be in RMB. Do you know what is the error message when u scanned the QR code in Singapore?

@@gibbontravelogue I scanned the Alipay QR code without the '+' at the end, and received an error message stating, "Payment failed. This service is only available for individuals with a China identification card." or Is it we can only use Alipay+ QR code in Singapore?

@@StephanieGan-yb1xp thanks. My understanding is that our international Alipay account would be able to scan both Alipay+ and Alipay QR code. But since you have this message, then I could be wrong. Nevertheless, you can try using it in China, it might work. At the same time, you could also have WeChat Pay as a backup.

@@gibbontravelogue Yes, I have the same understanding as you. I will try to test at other vendors in Singapore and see if they work. Hopefully it will work in China. Yes, I have also downloaded the WeChat as a backup. Thanks for your help.

@@StephanieGan-yb1xp All the best for your trip in China!

Hey, you can download Alipay - Simplify Your Life. It is on both Apple AppStore and Google Playstore. What model of phone are you using that it is not compatible?

​@@gibbontravelogue Ya, realized my xiaomi is not compatible but my old Samsung was ok...thk

@@davidmak7624 oh I see. Wishing you a good trip in China!🇨🇳

Hey thanks and glad you enjoyed the video. It’s the latter. When you pay for items, Alipay will take money from your bank account. However, be sure that the bank of Scotland card is a Mastercard or Visa card or the other cards that I mentioned in the video.

@@gibbontravelogue does that mean my bank will charge an exchange rate for every purchase?

@@AAAAAA-tj1nq Yes, your bank will use a foreign exchange rate for your payments

@@gibbontravelogue oh dear. Many thanks for your help!

Yes, you can do that. However, for larger amounts, there could be sms otp sent to the card holder to approve the transaction. Which country are you from?

@@gibbontravelogue I am a subscriber from Malaysia and am travelling to China during the summer holidays. TQVM for your very prompt reply.

@@calvinang1 i see. As far as i know, the touch and go app can be used in China on the Alipay+ rails. So you can try that for yourself and your children.

@@gibbontravelogue prefer my traditional method of payment of using credit card when travelling however I might try out T&G for transportation as you have suggested. 👍🏻

No more need. Tour card has been discontinued and succeeded by this linkage of credit/debit card to the Alipay account.

@@gibbontravelogue great thanks alot

Download Alipay- Simplify Your Life, that’s the international version.

You don’t need a Chinese number to set up Alipay Transport. What you need to be aware of is that you can’t set it up outside China. Once you arrived in China, it will be good.

@@gibbontravelogue Ah ok Thank you

Hey, I’m back home already 😅. Enjoy Canton Fair

You can, but a little complicated since e more verification needs to be done. It will take a while before the money comes through. So I wouldn’t suggest that.

I notice that the visa cost for US citizens starts from usd140. Well, if you intend to have a longer visit to China, it could be well worth the money.

Interesting that you noticed that; there were some passersby staring at us and one even went very close to Lilian and peeped into our camera. So it was quite funny 😁