China is nearly cashless: pay through Alipay or WeChat Pay with a Visa/Mastercard linked to the app. Single transactions under 200 CNY are fee-free, above that both charge 3 % of the whole amount, and a UnionPay card is exempt entirely. Bank of China ATMs cap foreign-card withdrawals at 3,000 CNY a time.
- China is nearly cashless - install Alipay or WeChat Pay and link a Visa/Mastercard before you fly.
- Single transactions under 200 CNY carry no fee. Above 200 CNY both apps charge 3 % - and on the whole amount, not just the part over the threshold, so a 250 CNY bill costs 7.50 CNY.
- Splitting a large bill into payments under 200 CNY each avoids the fee; an international UnionPay card avoids it outright.
- New to WeChat Pay: the 3 % is waived on daily transactions under 1,000 CNY for your first 60 days, up to 30 CNY saved per transaction.
- Bank of China ATMs allow 3,000 CNY per withdrawal on a foreign card; the fee is whatever your own bank charges.
- Always refuse dynamic currency conversion - choose "Without Conversion" and settle in CNY.
- Keep 10 and 20 CNY notes as backup; small merchants often cannot change a 100 CNY note.
Paying by phone
China is almost cashless, and ordinary plastic is marginal. Pay by mobile through Alipay and WeChat Pay with an international Visa or Mastercard linked to the app. Both take cards from Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB, Diners Club and UnionPay.
| Single transaction | Alipay / WeChat Pay fee | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Under 200 CNY | None | Use it for everyday spending, food and transport. |
| 200 CNY and above | 3 % of the full amount | Split the bill into payments under 200 CNY, or pay with UnionPay. |
- The 3 % is charged on the whole transaction, not the excess. A 250 CNY payment costs 7.50 CNY, not 1.50 CNY.
- An international UnionPay card is exempt from the service fee. If you can get one before you travel, it is the cheapest way to pay for anything expensive.
- First 60 days on WeChat Pay are free up to a point. International cardholders linking a card for the first time get the 3 % waived on daily transactions under 1,000 CNY for 60 consecutive days, capped at 30 CNY saved per transaction.
Withdrawing cash
- Use the major state banks - Bank of China (BOC), ICBC, China Construction Bank (CCB).
- Bank of China caps a foreign-card withdrawal at 3,000 CNY per transaction. Daily and annual limits are set by your own bank, not by the Chinese one.
- The withdrawal fee comes from your issuing bank. Bank of China does not set it, so check your own bank's foreign-ATM charge and exchange margin before you rely on cash.
- Refuse dynamic currency conversion and choose "Without Conversion" so the transaction settles in CNY. The DCC markup runs several percent on top of everything else.
- Take your card back as soon as the machine returns it. Chinese ATMs retain a card left in the slot, and recovering one means going to that branch in person during opening hours.
Cash as backup
Carry some cash for a dead phone or a dropped connection. Small notes are the constraint, not the amount - a 100 CNY note is often impossible to break for a small purchase.
- The convenience-store protocol - right after your first withdrawal, go into a 7-Eleven or FamilyMart, buy water or gum, and get the big note broken into 10 and 20 CNY notes.
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