I tried to use Apple Pay in China. It worked exactly twice in 3 weeks.
My friend from the US is an Apple Pay evangelist. He uses it for everything at home. Coffee. Groceries. Gas. Parking.He came to China and assumed Apple Pay would work the same way.
He was wrong.
The two times it worked:
1. Starbucks
The Shanghai Starbucks near People's Square had an NFC terminal. He tapped his phone. It worked. ¥35 for a latte.
2. A hotel in Beijing
The international chain hotel accepted Apple Pay at check-in.
That's it. Two transactions in 21 days.
Every other time:
Street food stall: QR code only. No card reader.
Taxi: Driver showed a personal Alipay QR code.
Convenience store: The cashier pointed at the Alipay/WeChat QR code on the counter.
Restaurant: QR code on the table. Scan to order AND pay.
Metro: QR code gate.
Didi: In-app payment only.
Small shop: "We don't take cards."
The reality of payments in China:
China skipped the card era and went straight to QR codes. Even many young Chinese people don't own physical credit cards.
Payment acceptance hierarchy:
1. WeChat Pay (universal)
2. Alipay (universal)
3. Cash (accepted, but often met with confusion)
4. Bank cards (sometimes, at major retailers)
5. Apple Pay / Google Pay (rare, mostly international chains)
How to actually pay in China:
Option 1: Alipay with foreign card (recommended)
• Download Alipay
• Register with your foreign phone number
• Link your Visa/Mastercard
• Works at 95%+ of merchants
• Some features limited (no money transfers to friends)
Option 2: WeChat Pay with foreign card
• Download WeChat
• Register
• Link foreign card in "Wallet"
• Works at 95%+ of merchants
• Can be tricky to set up — some foreign cards rejected
Option 3: Cash
• Still accepted everywhere by law
• But many small shops genuinely don't know how to handle cash anymore
• You'll get change, but the cashier might have to find the cash box
• Carry ¥500-1,000 in cash as backup
Option 4: ICBC / Bank of China card
• If you open a Chinese bank account, you get a UnionPay card
• Accepted everywhere cards are accepted
• But most daily transactions are still QR code based
My friend's new rule:
"I don't even try Apple Pay anymore. I open Alipay, the cashier scans my QR code, and I'm done in 2 seconds. It's actually faster than Apple Pay ever was."
The one exception:
If you're at a major international hotel, upscale restaurant, or luxury mall, card terminals (including Apple Pay) are more common. But for everyday China? QR codes rule.
"I came with my Apple Watch ready to pay. I left with Alipay on my home screen. China doesn't care about your fancy NFC."
Anyone else surprised by how different payments are in China?
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