Apps you need for China
Six apps cover paying, getting around and booking. Set them up at home, where fixing a problem is easy.
- Install Alipay and WeChat before you fly and link your Visa or Mastercard. Together they pay for almost everything.
- Your own phone number works for Alipay, WeChat, DiDi and 12306. You do not need a Chinese number for these.
- Signing up for WeChat usually needs an existing WeChat user to scan a code for you. Line up a friend before you go.
- Type your name exactly as it appears in the two lines of code at the bottom of your passport photo page. A name mismatch is the most common reason verification fails.
Set-up guide for each app
Step-by-step set-up and fixes for the most common errors.
AlipayThe payment app most visitors rely on in China. Pay shops by QR code with your own card, ride the metro and call taxis from inside the app.
WeChatHow people in China message each other, plus Weixin Pay (WeChat Pay) and the mini-programs that restaurants, museums and sights use for ordering and booking.
DiDiChina’s main ride-hailing app. It works in English with your own phone number and card, or inside Alipay with no extra account.
AmapChina’s most detailed map for walking, metro and buses, with an English version. Since August 2026 you can also book rides in English, paid through Alipay or WeChat Pay.
Railway 12306China Railway’s official ticket app and website, in English and with no booking fee. Register with your passport; your passport is then your ticket.
Trip.comBook China’s trains, flights, hotels and attraction tickets in English and pay with your own card, Apple Pay or PayPal. The easy fallback when 12306 or a Chinese booking site will not work for you.
TenPayGoTencent’s payment app for visitors, launched on 24 September 2026. Sign up with an email address and pay at any Weixin Pay merchant without a WeChat account. A good backup wallet.
MeituanChina’s food delivery app, also for groceries and local deals. The easiest way for visitors is the Meituan mini-program inside Alipay: no new account, your card is already linked, and it can switch to English.
DianpingWhere people in China look up restaurants: real photos, scores, rankings and the Must-Eat List. The app has an English setting; reviews stay mostly in Chinese.
RedNoteOptional. China’s favourite app for travel tips: recent photos of places, queues, food and what is worth it, posted by people who were there this week. Mostly in Chinese, with a translate button.The six essentials
Scan-to-pay almost everywhere, metro and bus ride codes, and mini-programs for taxis, food and tickets. Works in English with your own phone number. Verify your passport and link a Visa, Mastercard or Amex. Limits are US$5,000 per payment and US$50,000 a year.
How people in China message each other, plus Weixin Pay and mini-programs for museums and restaurants. Takes seven card networks. Payments under ¥200 have no foreign-card fee.
China’s main ride-hailing app, in English, with your own number and card. Install the app published by Didi Chuxing (Beijing). If your card is declined, open DiDi inside Alipay instead.
China’s most detailed map for walking, metro and buses, with an English version. Since August 2026 you can also book taxis in English inside Amap, paid through Alipay or WeChat.
The official train ticket app, with no booking fee. Register with your email, then verify your passport at least a day before you book. Tickets go on sale 15 days ahead. Visa and Mastercard work; Amex does not.
Trains, hotels and attraction tickets in English, paid with your card, Apple Pay or PayPal. Trains cost a few dollars more than on 12306. Useful when an official booking site wants a Chinese number.
Set-up order before you fly
Your bank may block the first payment in China as suspected fraud. Bring cards on two different networks, ideally Visa and Mastercard. Keep your home SIM active so you still receive bank codes by text.
Register, switch to English, verify your passport and link a card. Do it on stable Wi-Fi.
Register, have a friend scan your code, then set up Weixin Pay with your passport and card.
Install both and sign in with your phone number. Save your hotel as a favorite.
If you will take trains, register on 12306 and finish passport verification early. Verification can take up to 24 hours.
Nice to have
Tencent’s visitor app, launched on 24 September 2026. Pay at any Weixin Pay merchant without a WeChat account, using your card, Apple Pay or an overseas e-wallet. Good as a backup.
UnionPay’s visitor app. Pays at UnionPay, Alipay and Weixin Pay merchants, with metro codes in 43 cities.
Works in China with the same map data as Amap, in English and without an account. Fine for walking; use Amap for the metro and buses.
Food delivery, restaurant reviews and deals. Their own apps usually need a Chinese number, so use the mini-programs inside Alipay or WeChat.
Booking museums and sights
Many sights sell tickets online only, in your real name, with your passport number. Some booking pages still ask for a Chinese phone number.
Book on the official English site with your passport, then use the manual ticket-check lane at the entrance.
intl.dpm.org.cnOnline booking needs a mainland Chinese number. Buy your ticket at the entrance with your passport instead.
Look for an official English booking page, buy through Trip.com (usually a little more expensive), or ask at the ticket office with your passport.
When something goes wrong
My card was declined the first time I paid
Your bank probably flagged it as fraud. Approve the payment in your banking app or call the bank, then try again. After three failed tries, stop and use another card, because repeated failures trigger extra checks.
The shop’s QR code will not accept my foreign card
Some small shops use a personal payment code, which foreign cards cannot pay. Show your own payment code and let the cashier scan it.
Passport verification keeps failing
Copy your name from the two code lines at the bottom of the passport page, with the same order and spacing. Take the photo in even light without glare. If it still fails, choose manual review.
WeChat says my friend cannot help me verify
The helper’s account must be at least six months old if it was registered in mainland China, or one month old if registered elsewhere, and they must not have helped anyone else in the past month. Send them a freshly generated code, and turn off any VPN while you sign up.
Checked against official sources on September 27, 2026.
- Alipay+: Pay in the Chinese mainland · 2026-09-27
- Beijing government: payment services for inbound visitors · 2024-04-23
- Beijing government: inbound tourism facilitation measures · 2026-03-26
- Xinhua: Tencent launches TenPayGo · 2026-09-24
- DiDi China on the App Store · 2026-09-27
- Amap brings ride-hailing to international visitors · 2026-08-11
- MTR: 12306 account registration · 2026-09-27
- Trip.com: how to buy train tickets in China · 2026-06-09
- Beijing 12345 hotline: booking the Summer Palace and Forbidden City · 2025-06-20