Payment and mobile phone card are two problems that must be solved when foreigners visit China. Here is a detailed guide to help foreign tourists easily solve payment and mobile phone card problems in China.
I. Payment issues
1. Mobile Payment Alipay and WeChat Pay: The most mainstream mobile payment methods in China are Alipay and WeChat Pay. Foreign tourists can download these two apps on their mobile phones and try to bind their overseas bank cards. From July 2023, foreign users can use Alipay to bind their overseas bank cards to make payments, covering a wide range of areas such as catering, transport, wine and travel, and superstores. WeChat Pay also supports overseas users with overseas mobile phone numbers to bind foreign cards, and opens up a number of areas of merchants.
a. Operation Procedure: Download the App → Register or login with your mobile phone number → Bind your bank card in the App → Sweep the code to pay. It should be noted that some payment institutions support different bank cards, so you may need to try more than one bank card.
b. Payment Limits: In order to improve payment convenience for foreign tourists, the single transaction limit and annual cumulative transaction limit of Alipay and WeChat Pay have been increased. For example, the single transaction limit has been raised from US$1,000 to US$5,000 and the annual cumulative transaction limit has been raised from US$10,000 to US$50,000.
c. Digital RMB: The Digital RMB App also provides the function of ‘recharge before use’ for foreign cards, which allows foreign tourists to recharge their foreign bank cards with Visa and Mastercard and then use them.
2. Bank card payment: In China, bank cards marked with UnionPay, Visa, Mastercard, etc. can be used to make card payments at merchants with the corresponding acceptance mark. If the merchant does not have a logo, you can ask the cashier if you can use your bank card to pay by credit card.
a. ATM Cash Withdrawal: If foreign tourists need RMB cash, they can withdraw RMB cash through their bank cards from ATMs marked with the logo of the corresponding clearing organisations, and they can also exchange foreign currency cash for RMB cash directly at bank branches, foreign currency exchange institutions and self-service exchange machines marked with currency exchange logos.
3. Travel Pass Cloud Flash Pay App: Expatriates to China can apply for and recharge their Travel Pass, a prepaid card that can be used in daily online and offline consumption scenarios, on the Cloud Flash Pay App.
4. Other Payment Methods Cash: Although mobile payment is very popular in China, the country still respects the cash payment needs and consumption habits of some foreigners, and the counters or ATMs of all bank branches in all districts support foreigners to handle cash withdrawals.
II. Problems with mobile phone cards
1. Carrier selection: China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom are the three major carriers in China that provide mobile phone network services. However, for Chinese with foreign passports and foreigners who do not speak Chinese, there are some inconveniences in applying for a mobile phone card at a business hall, such as the need to go to the business hall in person, and the fact that some of the small business halls do not support foreigners to open a card.
a. Private operators: Private operators such as Nihao Mobile provide services exclusively for foreigners, allowing them to purchase and submit passport and other document information online, which is extremely convenient for users. In addition, Nihao Mobile also has a number protection function, which allows users to stop using their mobile phone when they leave China, and then simply switch on their mobile phone when they come back to China.
2. Preparation of materials for the process: Foreign tourists need to prepare passports, work or study certificates (if any), temporary residence permits (if any) and other documents.
a. Choose a package: Choose a suitable package according to your needs, you can check the package details on the operator's official website or business hall.
c.Activate SIM card: After the process is completed, follow the operator's guidelines to activate the SIM card and set the mobile phone number and password and other information.
3. Note Package change: If you need to change the package or apply for other services, you can choose to do it online or go to the operator's business hall, but you need to pay attention to the language communication problem.
a. Tariffs: Know the tariffs of the packages to avoid unnecessary costs.
III. Tips for handling travel payments and mobile phone cards at the airport
Similarly, for foreigners who are new to China, the airport is often their first stop when they set foot in the country. Solving payment problems and applying for mobile phone cards here is the first choice of many foreign travellers. In the next section, we will explain in detail how to handle travel payment and mobile phone cards at airports, which will hopefully help foreigners adapt to travelling life in China more quickly.
1. Handling travel payments
At the airport, foreigners can conveniently conduct travel payment operations, including exchanging RMB and setting up mobile payment accounts.
（1）. Place for exchanging RMB: commercial bank branch counters, foreign currency exchange agencies and self-service exchange machines at international airports, land ports, harbours and other ports of entry.
a. Limit: The limit of RMB 20,000 per person per trip.
b. Methods: RMB cash can be withdrawn through ATMs using international bank cards or exchanged at counters.
（2）. Mobile Payment Alipay and WeChat Payment: Foreigners can download and register Alipay or WeChat at the airport to bind their international bank cards (authorised consent from the foreign card issuer is required).
a. Handling fee: Using WeChat and Alipay to pay by sweeping the code, a single payment of up to 200 yuan is free of handling fee, and a handling fee of 3% will be charged for more than that.
b. Spending Limit: The spending limit of the international bank card bound to WeChat and Alipay is USD 50,000 (about RMB 360,000) per year, with a single transaction not exceeding USD 5,000 (about RMB 36,000).
2. Applying for a mobile phone card
Getting a mobile phone card at the airport makes it easier for foreign tourists to use data traffic and call services while travelling.
（1）. Choosing a Carrier：The major telecoms carriers in China include China Telecom, China Mobile and China Unicom.
（2）. Procedure for presenting documents: Foreigners are required to carry a valid passport as proof of identity and may be required to sign it in their own handwriting.
a. Completion of the application: at the operator's service point or counter, fill in the relevant application form. Other supporting documents, such as a visa or residence permit, may be required.
b. Choose a package: Choose the right mobile phone card package according to your needs, such as traffic volume, call duration, etc.
c. Payment: Pay for the selected mobile phone card package and make sure you know the details of the package.
（3）.Location of Service Points:In Shanghai Pudong International Airport, for example, there is a Unicom service point for foreigners to apply for mobile phone cards about 50 metres from the international arrival exit. If you can't find the service point, ask the airport staff.
（4）. Note package selection: choose the right package according to your travelling time and needs to avoid wastage.
a. Activation and use: After completing the purchase, follow the service guide to activate the mobile phone card and set up the mobile phone network.
Ⅳ. other recommendations
● Accommodation registration: Register your accommodatiosin as soon as possible after entering the country, and if you are staying elsewhere, you must declare it to the police station in your place of residence within 24 hours.
● Validity of documents: Pay attention to the validity of visas and residence permits and apply for extensions in a timely manner.
● Mode of travel: Foreign passengers can use cash, WeChat, Alipay and bank cards to pay for tickets when travelling by air, bus or underground in China.
With the above tips, we hope it can help foreigners to easily apply for travel payment and mobile phone cards at the airport for their travelling life in China. We hope this information will help you enjoy your journey in China better!
Disclaimer: Some of the content in the article comes from AI and is for readers' reference only.
