China runs on its own apps: people pay with QR codes, order taxis and food through apps, and Google services don't work on Chinese networks. Here is what to install, what each app is for and how to set it up before you fly.
Updated 13 October 2026
Before you fly
Install the apps and sign up at home: registration sends an SMS code to your phone number, and it is easier with a working home SIM.
Link your bank card to Alipay and WeChat and make a small test payment, for example by topping up your metro card or ordering a ride, so you find out early if the bank blocks it.
Sort out mobile internet: roaming or a travel eSIM bought before the trip. On Chinese mobile and Wi-Fi networks, Google, WhatsApp, Instagram and many other foreign services don't open; through roaming and most travel eSIMs, which route traffic abroad, they usually do.
Download offline maps and an offline Chinese language pack in your translator, and save the addresses of your hotels in Chinese characters.
Take some cash in yuan anyway: for small shops, markets and the case when an app refuses your card.
Paying
Alipay
支付宝Zhīfùbǎo
What it is for
The main way to pay in China: you scan the QR code in a shop, café or taxi, or show yours at the till. Inside it there are also a taxi service (DiDi), metro QR codes for many cities, hotel and ticket bookings, and a translator.
How to set it up
Install Alipay from your app store and sign up with your phone number; the app has an English interface.
Add your Visa, Mastercard or other international card in the payment methods.
Verify your identity with your passport when the app asks for it: without it the limits are low.
To pay, open “Pay” and show the code, or tap “Scan” and scan the shop's code.
Tip: Payments by foreign card are free up to a certain amount (200 yuan at the time of writing), above it the card fee is about 3%. Check the current terms in the app.
China's main messenger and the second way to pay. Hotels, guides and shops will offer to “add you on WeChat” to stay in touch; WeChat Pay works like Alipay, with QR codes.
How to set it up
Install WeChat and sign up with your phone number; English is in the settings.
Registration may ask another WeChat user to confirm you: a friend who already has WeChat can help.
To pay, open Me → Services → Wallet and add your international card.
Verify your identity with your passport if the app asks for it.
Tip: Messages with Chinese contacts can be translated: hold a message and choose “Translate”.
The most accurate map of China: walking, public transport and driving routes, metro exits, places and opening hours. Google Maps is out of date in China and the map is shifted.
How to set it up
Install Amap (Gaode Maps). The interface is in Chinese; newer versions also have English (look under Settings → Language).
Search by the name in Chinese characters: copy it from your booking or from a translator.
Before the trip, mark the hotel and the places you want to visit.
Tip: On an iPhone, Apple Maps also works well in China: it uses Amap's data and is in your language.
A travel service in English and other languages: train and plane tickets, hotels that take foreign guests, tours and transfers. Accepts international cards.
How to set it up
Install Trip.com and sign up with your email or phone number.
Add your passport details for train tickets.
When booking a hotel, check that it accepts foreign passports.
Tip: The booking shows the hotel's address in Chinese: show it to the taxi driver.
Hotels, big shops and airports usually accept them at the terminal, but most of China pays with QR codes. The reliable way is to link your card to Alipay or WeChat Pay, which turn it into a QR payment.
Do I need a Chinese phone number?
Not for Alipay, WeChat, DiDi or Trip.com: they work with a foreign number. Some local services, such as food delivery, are easier with a Chinese number.
Will Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work?
On Chinese mobile and Wi-Fi networks, no. Through roaming or a travel eSIM that routes traffic abroad they usually do. Messages to people in China are easier in WeChat anyway.
Which app should I use for the metro?
In many cities you can pass the metro gates with the transport QR code in Alipay or WeChat (search for “Transport” or the city's metro). Otherwise, ticket machines take cash and QR payments.
Should I still take cash?
Yes, a little: some small shops, markets and older taxis prefer cash, and it saves you if an app refuses your card.