Paying For Things

Paying for things in China is mostly digital and done with your phone. WeChat and Alipay are the 2 most common apps for this. Before you leave your country you can connect your bank card to these apps, such as visa or mastercard. Cash is not used very much, but sometimes, especially in less developed areas, it is still used, so it’s a good idea to have some cash if you will be traveling to rural places. High-end hotels and stores in big cities often accept foreign credit cards, but that is not guaranteed. 

• Alipay can be downloaded from the Apple app store. The international version is in English and it gives straightforward instructions on how to set it up. Use your passport to pass the identity verification. You can then link your credit card. It is accepted almost everywhere in China. 
• The process for WeChat is similar. With both of these apps, there is a QR code that you scan with your phone and it automatically pays the merchant. This works for everything from Marriot hotels and famous museums down to the smallest street food stalls. 
• The currency of China is the Renminbi, RMB. While cash is becoming obsolete, it is still sometimes used and you can get it from large banks that have a currency exchange department, or from airport currency exchanges or on-line currency exchanges. Remember, if you go to Hong Kong, they use HK Dollars there, (HKD) even though Hong Kong is part of China. Also, Macau is part of China, but they use the Macanese Pataca (MOP), although you can also use HKD there. RMB is officially accepted in Hong Kong and Macau, but you will lose money on the exchange rate.
• UnionPay can sometimes be used by foreigners, but it often requires a Chinese bank account, which tourists usually cannot get.