Chinapedia | Easy pay with WeChat Pay
WeChat Pay is a digital wallet service from Chinese social media giant WeChat, which lets users make mobile payments and online transactions. Vast majority of merchants in China, including dining, transportation, hotels, and supermarkets, accept WeChat Pay.
On July 20, 2023, the official WeChat team announced a comprehensive upgrade to their services for international bank card users. Foreigners who bind their international cards with WeChat Pay can now enjoy various payment methods such as QR code scanning, mini-program payments, and in-app payments.
For tourists or a business visitor, a mobile phone is all they need to roam freely in mainland China. So, how do you sign up for WeChat Pay? This guide is tailored for tourists looking to navigate China effortlessly with WeChat Pay.
First, download WeChat from the App Store and sign up for an account. Users can sign up for WeChat using non-Chinese phone numbers.
To use WeChat Pay, users need to go to "Wallet" and verify their identification.
The verification required users to upload a picture of their ID and verify faces.
The accepted ID types are:
- Mainland China ID
- Passport
- Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macau Residents
- Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents
- PRC's Foreign Permanent Resident ID
- Mainland Residence Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents
- Mainland Residence Permit for Taiwan Residents
Users can add their international bank cards to WeChat Pay. After adding bank cards, users need to set up a payment password and they need to enter the password or use face verification every time they pay.
There are 3% transaction fee for payments above RMB200.
Exchange Rate
- All transactions will be made in RMB.
- The exchange rate is calculated based on the exchange rate of the card organization and of the issuing bank of the international card.
（English Editor: Ella Qu)
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