WeChat Pay suddenly stopped working and I panicked
So yesterday I tried to pay for coffee and WeChat Pay just... declined. No error message, just "payment failed." Tried again. Failed. Tried Alipay. Also failed.Standing there with a ¥35 latte I couldn't pay for while a queue formed behind me. Mortifying.
Turned out my foreign credit card had expired at the end of May. I knew it was expiring "soon" but I forgot the exact date. Both Alipay and WeChat were linked to the same card.
How I fixed it:
1. Paid with cash (thank god I had some — see my other post about cash being hard to spend lol)
2. Went to a quiet cafe with WiFi
3. Added my NEW card to both apps
4. Had to re-verify identity (passport scan + selfie AGAIN)
5. Waited about 2 hours for verification to clear
Lessons:
• Set a calendar reminder 2 weeks before card expiry
• Have a backup card linked to at least one app
• Always carry some cash for emergencies (¥200 minimum)
• Don't link both apps to the SAME card — spread the risk
Also: re-verification was annoying but way faster than the first time. Maybe 2 hours vs the 24 hours it took when I first set up.
Anyone else had a payment meltdown in public?
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