In China, your phone is your wallet. Almost everything, from street food and metro rides to rent, Didi and Taobao, is paid with Alipay or WeChat Pay. Here's how to set both up as a foreigner in 2026, what the fees and limits really are, and the difference between using a foreign card and a Chinese bank card.
What you need
Your passport.
A phone number. A foreign number works to register,...
