China Payments

The right way to reduce China payment costs is to choose a payment method that fits the transaction—not to disguise one purchase as several smaller payments. For everyday travel purchases, compare an international card…

The best card to link to Alipay or WeChat Pay is not a universal product: it is a card available in your country that charges no foreign-transaction fee, uses a currently supported network, is…

A VPN can be one possible cause of an Alipay or WeChat Pay connection problem, but a failed payment does not prove that the wallet blocked your VPN or detected an IP-location mismatch. First…

An international card linked to Alipay can work for eligible everyday purchases in China but still fail when you try to pay a supplier, factory, sourcing agent, or individual collection code. Linking the card…

If an Alipay or WeChat Pay purchase looks different on your card statement, do not assume the wallet added a hidden charge. Compare the RMB merchant amount, wallet service fee, billing currency, exchange rate,…

Alipay and WeChat Pay use the same published service-fee rule for everyday merchant QR payments funded by an international card: no added platform fee when one transaction is RMB 200 or less, and a…

Foreign nationals can apply for a personal RMB bank account at a commercial bank branch in China, but approval is not automatic. A passport or Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card establishes identity; the bank…

Eligible overseas visitors can reclaim part of the VAT on unused goods purchased at designated departure-tax-refund stores in mainland China. The normal net refund is generally 9% or 6% of the VAT-inclusive invoice amount:…