I tried to pay with Apple Pay in China and the cashier looked at me like I was from Mars
So I was feeling fancy. iPhone out, double-click the side button, Apple Pay ready. The cashier at the convenience store just... stared."Apple Pay?" I said, helpfully.
She pointed at the Alipay QR code. "Scan."
"But Apple Pay works here, right? The sign says contactless?"
She called her manager. Manager came over. Looked at my phone. Looked at me. "No."
Turns out contactless card readers exist in China, but they're mostly for Chinese bank cards with UnionPay contactless. Foreign Apple Pay? Sometimes works at international hotels and high-end malls. Everywhere else? Nah.
What DOES work with foreign cards:
• Alipay app with your foreign card linked
• WeChat Pay app with your foreign card linked
• Actual physical foreign card at major hotels and some upscale restaurants
• Some metro gates in Shanghai/Shenzhen/Beijing now accept foreign contactless tap
What does NOT work:
• Apple Pay / Google Pay at random shops
• Samsung Pay
• Foreign contactless at street vendors
• Pretty much anything that isn't Alipay, WeChat, or cash
The lesson:
Just set up Alipay. It's not that hard. And it works everywhere. Apple Pay is a cool party trick back home. In China, it's useless.
Anyone else made this mistake?
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