In China, your phone is used for everything: payments, communicating, visiting hospitals, booking hotels, ordering taxis and food, even opening hotel doors. 

• The first app you need to install is WeChat. It’s used for text messaging, calls, and buying things. Follow the instructions on the app to link your bank card.
• The second app you need is Alipay. It is used for making payments. Follow the app instructions to link your bank card.
• The next app you need is DiDi. It’s like Uber. Use it to have a car take you somewhere. Cheaper than taxis.
• To book hotels, flights and train tickets, download Trip.com. It is designed for tourists.
• Google and Apple Maps will not work, so download the amap.com app instead. Used for navigation.
• Metuan is a useful app for ordering food.
• Taobao is a useful app for on-line shopping.
• The internet is censored, and many VPN’s do not work, so an international esim is one way to still get access to Youtube and other websites you may want. But you have to set it up before coming to China.
• Once in China, a local Chinese physical sim card might help, since many apps may ask for sms verification from a local Chinese number.
• Be aware that there is often a daily spending limit when you link your bank card to WeChat or Alipay.
• In big cities, credit cards like Mastercard and Visa are often accepted.

The following video explains how to set up WeChat pay: