Everything you need to know before arriving in China
Paying in China: Cash (CNY) or Alipay
💰 Option 1: Cash (Chinese Yuan - CNY)
• Most convenient for small purchases and rural areas
• ATMs are widely available throughout the cities
• Carry small bills for taxis and street food
• Exchange money at banks or official exchange counters
📱 Option 2: Alipay (Recommended for Digital Payments)
Based on recent travel experience in China:
Set up Alipay before coming to China. This included verifying my passport, setting up a password instead of an OTP and adding my local bank debit and credit card.
Bought an eSIM on Alipay. This helped me verify I could make purchases and was also cheap.
Activate the eSIM before boarding the plane (I came from Japan)
Upon landing, open Alipay, search for the Didi miniprogram and request the ride. You can use the in-app translation which is quite helpful but my driver couldn't find me and I did have to chat with him in Chinese.
On the rides I've taken, the drivers haven't talked to me anyway, but I did not see an option to request an English speaker
Important Tips
• Set up Alipay with international cards before arrival
• Download WeChat Pay as a backup option
• Keep some cash for areas without digital payment