How to Use Alipay (Zhifubao) in China

Alipay is very useful for daily expense and shopping in China. Here is the details guide and advice on how to set up account and use it when travelling in China.

Useful Questions & Answers

Q: What documents can l use to set up Alipay?
A: Passport or People's Republic of China Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card; Mainland Travel Permit or Residence Permit for Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR and Taiwan Residents. The key is to make sure you do all the verification etc. before u depart for China.

Q:Do I need a Chinese Mainland(+86) phone number?
A:No. You can use your international phone number as long as it can receive SMS verification codes.

Q: What kind of transactions does Alipay currently support for international cards?
A: Currently, international cards can be used for everyday purchases within the Chinese Mainland. However, international cards do not support certain features such as red packets and money transfers, etc.

Q: Is there a transaction limit? How is the exchange rate calculated?
A: There is a limit of 5000 USD for single transactions and a cumulative limit of 50,000 USD for yearly transactions. The exchange rate will be calculated based on the exchange rate of the card organization and the issuing bank of your international card.

Q: Are there any transaction fees?
A: Yes. However, transaction fees are waived for single transactions under 200 RMB. A 3% transaction fee will be applied for single transactions above 200 RMB. If you request a refund for a transaction, the transaction fee will be reimbursed in proportion to the refunded amount. Please refer to the payment page for details.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us.

Alipay Customer Service: 0571 26886000 (Chinese Mainland)
+86 571 26886000 (Regions outside of Chinese Mainland)