Essential Apps and tools
- Access: Sims & VPNs
- Payments: Alipay & WeChat
- Navigation: A-map & Baidu
- Transportation: Didi, Trip, Railway12306, & Alipay
- Accommodations: Trip.com
Extras
- Food Delivery: Meituan takeout
- Coupons: Meituan
- Luggage forwarding and delivery: Jindong
- Ride-sharing: Shunfengche
Etiquette and observatons
- Dining
- Noise Levels
- Payments
Alipay (支付宝)
English version available
- Download the Alipay app and register for an account. You don’t need a phone number for this; an email will suffice.
- Go to “account” → bank cards”, and follow the prompts to link a bank card. You might need to do additional security steps from your card’s end.
- You can now use your linked card on Alipay.
You’ll need to verify your identity via one of these methods when registering. An ID is not necessary to link a card, but you might eventually need to to, in order access other features.
A straightforward bank card flow.
At physical checkouts, larger vendors will usually scan your personal QR code via the “pay/receive” method. Smaller vendors, like local convenience stores, may require you to scan their QR code and manually enter the payment amount.
When checking out online, (like QR ordering while dining in or ordering takeout), you’ll automatically be redirected to an Alipay payment page and enter the passcode you’ve set up.
Under “account”, you can access “payment settings” and set up a few customizable settings. “Payment priority” might be useful if you’re linking multiple cards and have preferences on which one to use as a default.
Under “settings”→”general”, you will find the translation tool. I’d recommend turning this on, since many mini-apps don’t have translations.
For example, if you want to order from Heytea within Alipay, what might be a difficult task without Chinese knowledge is now more manageable.
Alipay and WeChat have almost identical mini app availabilities. I’d recommend using Alipay simply because of the translations feature.
The translation tool is similar to AssistiveTouch and sticks to screen wherever you are in the app.
For example, if you wanted to order a drink from Heytea ahead of time at a shopping mall, you can now translate the mini app.
WeChat (微信)
English version available
- Download the WeChat app and register an account. You do need a phone number (can be an international one). The registration process is lengthier, so leave some time to set it up.
- Go to “me” → “pay and services”→”wallet”→”bank cards”, and you can link a bank card. You might need to do additional security steps on your bank card’s end and additional forms of identity verification (e.g. passport info).
- You can now use your linked card on WeChat.
You can access both the scan and QR code payment methods from the home screen or under “me”->“pay and services”->”money”. How you’d make a payment is exactly the same as Alipay.
It’s also very popular for locals to transfer money to each other from within a chat (see image). This is not possible with an international bank card, so if someone requests this, ask for their QR code instead. You can, however, receive a balance, so if you have family or friends in China, you can ask them to transfer you money this way and you will subsequently have a balance to use.
Access QR code from the pay and services page, or more conveniently from the home screen (where all your chats are).
The “transfer” method within a chat only works if you have a balance, and that requires a local bank account or if someone local transfers you money.
You can arrange priority of payment methods just like Alipay under the “money” tab.