China Newcomers 中文

Guide · stage: first-30-days

Set up WeChat Pay and Alipay

Pending
Under review — This content is AI-drafted from official sources and has not yet been verified by a human editor. Treat as guidance, not a final ruling.

WeChat Pay and Alipay are essential for daily payments in China. Both require a Chinese mainland debit card linked to a local phone number registered in your name. Set them up after opening a bank account.

Your progress

Step 1 / 2 · Ensure a local bank card and phone number

What you need

Steps

Step 1 · Ensure a local bank card and phone number

Pending

You need a Chinese debit card (see the open-bank-account-china procedure) and a mainland mobile number registered in your name before wallet verification can complete.

⏱ 1 days · assumes bank account already opened

💰 0 CNY

⚠ Pitfalls

  • Wallet real-name verification fails without a mainland-issued bank card
📌 Source:Guide to Working and Living in China as Business Expatriates (2025/2026 Edition)Bank Accounts (Wuhu Municipal Government English Guide)

Step 2 · Link the bank card and verify

Pending

In WeChat, open Me → Services → Wallet; in Alipay, open the profile and add a card. Complete real-name verification with your passport and bind the debit card.

⏱ 30 minutes

💰 0 CNY

⚠ Pitfalls

  • Some foreign passports need manual review; allow a few days for Alipay especially

📍 Wuhu (Anhui): Wuhu branches of major banks can assist with the card binding if the app stalls.

📌 Source:Guide to Working and Living in China as Business Expatriates (2025/2026 Edition)
📌 Source:Guide to Working and Living in China as Business Expatriates (2025/2026 Edition)Bank Accounts (Wuhu Municipal Government English Guide)