How do you set up WeChat Pay or Alipay in China in 2026?

Get a real-name Chinese SIM first so SMS codes arrive (Get mobile phone). Install WeChat and Alipay from trusted stores, create accounts with that number, and complete the in-app identity steps the apps request (passport details are common for foreigners). Then open a mainland bank account when you can (Open bank account) and bind the UnionPay debit card inside both wallets. A Chinese card is still the smoothest path for salary top-ups, peer transfers and high-frequency QR use.

You can start earlier by linking an international bank card. The 2024 guide says foreigners may bind Mastercard, Visa, JCB, Diners Club or Discover cards, or Chinese UnionPay cards. Some foreign issuers reject the binding; contact that bank or switch to a Chinese card. For QR payments on a bound international card, the guide states no extra service fee at or under RMB 200 per transaction, and a 3% service fee above RMB 200. It also states annual limits of USD 50,000 and single-transaction limits of USD 5,000 for those international bindings. Treat those published caps as planning rules, not as inventing other fee tables.

Scan the merchant's collection QR code or show your payment QR code. Alipay's transport tools can produce metro and bus codes after identity verification in many cities; WeChat also supports ride-hailing entry points. Some overseas wallets (for example certain Hong Kong, Macao, Korean, Malaysian, Singaporean, Mongolian or Thai partners listed in the guide) can pay mainland QR codes through partnership rails, which helps short visitors but is not a full substitute for a resident WeChat or Alipay setup tied to a Chinese number and bank card.

Keep both apps. Some vendors prefer one wallet. Screenshot payment success when landlords or small shops need proof. If a foreign card binding fails mid-week, finish the Chinese bank visit before you assume mobile payments are impossible.