Home / China guides / Payments
How can I pay in mainland China?
These reviewed pages cover specific card networks and Alipay operations in mainland China. They are guidance, not issuer-specific transaction guarantees.
Reviewed payment references from nihaonana. These scopes do not cover Hong Kong or Macao.
Which card networks have a reviewed guide?
Card linking adds a card to Alipay. Merchant payment uses it for a purchase. Evidence for one operation is not a guarantee for the other.
| Card network | Link a card to Alipay | Pay a merchant through Alipay |
|---|---|---|
| Visa | Reviewed guide | Reviewed guide |
| Mastercard | Reviewed guide | No reviewed guide |
| UnionPay | No reviewed guide | Reviewed guide |
“No reviewed guide” means this catalog has no scoped record, not that the operation is unsupported. Even the available records are network-level guidance: issuer, card, account and merchant restrictions still apply. Broad source statements are not additional reviewed scopes.
The October 31, 2026 expiry is a re-review boundary, not a support promise. After expiry, check the official source before treating these records as current. Always keep a backup payment method.
Available reviewed scopes
- Can I link a Visa card to Alipay in China?
The reviewed China payment guide says Visa cards can be added to Alipay. This is network-level guidance and does not confirm that a particular issuer or card will link successfully.
Visa · foreign visitor · Alipay card linking · mainland China · likely supported. Evidence reviewed October 1, 2026; expires October 31, 2026.
- Can I pay merchants with a Visa card through Alipay?
The reviewed guide describes using Alipay to pay a merchant by scanning the merchant QR code or presenting a payment code after adding a bank card. It does not guarantee that every Visa issuer or merchant will accept the transaction.
Visa · foreign visitor · Alipay merchant payment · mainland China · likely supported. Evidence reviewed October 1, 2026; expires October 31, 2026.
- Can I link a Mastercard to Alipay in China?
The reviewed China payment guide says Mastercard cards can be added to Alipay. This is network-level guidance, not an issuer or transaction guarantee.
Mastercard · foreign visitor · Alipay card linking · mainland China · likely supported. Evidence reviewed October 1, 2026; expires October 31, 2026.
- Can I pay merchants with a UnionPay card through Alipay?
The reviewed China payment guide describes Alipay merchant QR payment and lists UnionPay cards among the cards that can be added. Merchant and issuer conditions still apply.
UnionPay · foreign visitor · Alipay merchant payment · mainland China · likely supported. Evidence reviewed October 1, 2026; expires October 31, 2026.