payment

I had an Australian couple show up in Shanghai last month with nothing but a Revolut card and a prayer. No cash, no Alipay, no backup. "We heard China is cashless!" they said proudly. They're right. But there's a gap between "cashless" and "your foreign card works everywhere." Most places accept Alipay and WeChat Pay, but your Visa/Mastercard only works at international hotels, big malls, and some chain restaurants. Street stalls, local restaurants, metro tickets? App-only. Here's what I tell every client: bring ¥500-1000 in cash for emergencies, set up Alipay with your international card before you leave, and treat WeChat Pay as your backup. That combo covers 99% of situations. I once had a client try to pay for hotpot with his Amex. The waiter laughed. Not in a mean way — just genuinely amused that someone would try. We paid with Alipay. Everyone moved on.

A client sent me a voice message last night panicking because she could not add her foreign Visa card to Alipay. I talked her through it in 5 minutes (trick: use Tour Pass mode, not the regular wallet). She messaged me back an hour later: I just bought street food from a tiny stall in XiAn using my phone. The lady selling it was more excited than I was. This is the thing about China travel in 2026 — the payment problem is mostly solved, you just need to know the right setup. The old advice about carry cash everywhere is outdated. I have not used cash in over a year.