- China is a mobile-first payment economy — mobile-payment penetration is around 86%, the highest in the world — so cash and foreign cards, while accepted, are no longer the default.
中国是”移动支付优先”的社会——移动支付普及率约 86%，居全球第一——因此现金和境外银行卡虽被接受，却已不再是默认选项。- The national blueprint is the State Council General Office’s Opinions on Further Optimising Payment Services (国办发〔2024〕19号), built on a “large amounts by card, small amounts by QR code, cash as backstop” (大额刷卡、小额扫码、现金兜底) solution.
国家层面的总纲是国务院办公厅《关于进一步优化支付服务提升支付便利性的意见》（国办发〔2024〕19号），核心方案为”大额刷卡、小额扫码、现金兜底”。- Two mobile-payment routes now serve foreigners: “bind a foreign card” (外卡内绑) — link an overseas Visa/Mastercard/etc. inside Alipay or Weixin Pay — and “use your home wallet” (外包内用) — pay directly with an overseas e-wallet.
面向外籍人士的移动支付有两条路径：”外卡内绑”（在支付宝或微信支付内绑定境外 Visa/Mastercard 等卡）与”外包内用”（直接用境外电子钱包支付）。- Foreign bank cards are increasingly accepted at airports, hotels, large malls and key business districts; the PBOC has pushed banks to expand foreign-card POS and ATM coverage.
境外银行卡在机场、酒店、大型商场与重点商圈的受理面持续扩大；人民银行已推动银行扩大外卡 POS 与 ATM 覆盖。- Cash must not be refused — rejecting RMB cash is illegal, and the PBOC runs recurring enforcement campaigns; carry small notes for taxis, markets and small shops.
现金不得被拒——拒收人民币现金属违法行为，人民银行持续开展专项整治；建议随身备小额现钞用于出租车、市场和小商户。- Residents (with a residence permit) can open a full Chinese bank account and Alipay/Weixin real-name accounts, unlocking the full digital-life stack; short-term visitors can rely on card-binding and cash without a local account.
持居留许可的常住人员可开立完整的中国银行账户及支付宝/微信实名账户，解锁完整数字生活；短期访客无需本地账户，靠绑卡与现金即可。- Instant tax refund (即买即退 / 一键退税) and departure VAT refund for tourists have been widened and sped up in 2026, with refunds at some cities cut to under two minutes.
2026 年”即买即退/一键退税”及离境退税范围扩大、时效提升，部分城市退税时长压缩至两分钟以内。- Digital RMB (e-CNY) hard wallets are an emerging option at pilots (e.g. metro turnstiles, exhibitions), usable without a Chinese bank account.
数字人民币（e-CNY）硬钱包是新兴选项，在部分试点（如地铁闸机、展会）可用，且无需中国银行账户。
Paying for Everything in China: A Practical Guide for Foreign Visitors and Residents | 在中国怎么付钱：外籍来华人员的支付实操指南
Overview
For a newcomer, the single most disorienting part of daily life in China is not the language — it is paying for things. A country that leapfrogged plastic cards straight to QR codes can feel closed to anyone holding only a foreign Visa and a wallet of banknotes. The good news: since late 2023, and formalised in 2024, China has run a coordinated national campaign to make payment “just work” for foreigners, led by the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) under a State Council General Office directive. This article maps the whole payment landscape — mobile wallets, foreign cards, cash, bank accounts, tax refunds and e-CNY — and tells you exactly what to set up before and after you arrive, whether you are here for a week or a decade.
The policy backdrop
The reference document is the State Council General Office Opinions on Further Optimising Payment Services and Improving Payment Convenience (国办发〔2024〕19号), issued in 2024. Its design principle — repeated by PBOC leadership — is “large amounts by card, small amounts by QR code, cash as the backstop” (大额刷卡、小额扫码、现金兜底). The PBOC set up a dedicated inter-agency working mechanism and has since driven measurable expansion: foreign-card acceptance at merchants, “bind-a-foreign-card” and “use-your-home-wallet” mobile flows, ATM foreign-card withdrawal upgrades, RMB cash-acceptance enforcement, and simplified bank-account opening. Local pilots (Shanghai, Shenzhen Qianhai, Dalian and others) have layered on city-level measures such as multilingual payment guides, one-stop inbound-service apps and instant tax refunds around major events.
Route 1 — Mobile payment (the default)
Two mechanisms now open China’s QR-code economy to foreigners:
- “Bind a foreign card” (外卡内绑): Inside Alipay (支付宝) or Weixin Pay (微信支付), a visitor can register with a passport, link an overseas Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express or Discover/Diners card, and pay by scanning QR codes. Below a set threshold, small transactions can go through without repeated identity verification.
- “Use your home wallet” (外包内用): Selected overseas e-wallets can be used directly for in-China QR payments. Coverage has grown to dozens of overseas wallets/wallet-networks across many countries and regions (for example PayPal and various Asian e-wallets), so travellers can sometimes pay with the app they already use at home.
Practical notes: transaction and daily/annual caps apply; small foreign-exchange or service fees may be charged by the wallet; a stable data connection (roaming, eSIM, or a local SIM) is essential because everything is app-based.
Route 2 — Foreign bank cards
Card acceptance is expanding fastest exactly where visitors need it: airports, ports, railway stations, hotels, large shopping malls and designated key business districts. The PBOC has directed banks and payment institutions to convert priority merchants to foreign-card POS and to upgrade ATMs so more machines dispense cash to overseas cards. Real-world usage is rising steeply — major cities report foreign-card transaction volumes growing tens of percent year on year. Still, acceptance is not universal: expect it at “big and formal” venues, not necessarily at a neighbourhood noodle shop.
Route 3 — Cash (the backstop that cannot be refused)
Refusing RMB cash is unlawful in China. The PBOC runs recurring “cash-rejection” enforcement campaigns and requires merchants to accept banknotes. Improvements include ATM foreign-card withdrawal, more foreign-currency exchange points (airports, key hotels, some malls), and small-denomination “change packs” (零钱包). Advice: always carry some small notes (¥1, ¥5, ¥10, ¥20) for taxis, wet markets, small vendors and rural areas where mobile and card coverage is thinner.
For residents: open a Chinese bank account
If you hold a residence permit (work, study, family), opening a Chinese bank account unlocks the full stack: real-name Alipay/Weixin, salary receipt, utilities, rent, and higher payment limits. The PBOC has pushed banks to implement tiered/graded account management and to simplify onboarding for foreigners. Bring your passport and residence permit; some banks ask for proof of employment, address or a Chinese mobile number. Once the account is real-name linked to a mobile wallet, day-to-day life becomes identical to a local’s.
Tax refunds for shoppers
Departure VAT refund for overseas tourists has been widened and accelerated in 2026. Beyond the traditional “refund on departure” at the airport, cities have rolled out instant refund (即买即退 / “buy-and-refund-now”) and one-tap refund (一键退税) at qualifying stores, with some localities cutting the refund experience to under two minutes. Look for “Tax Free” signage, keep the goods and invoices, and confirm eligibility (minimum spend, unused goods, departure window) before you buy.
Emerging: digital RMB (e-CNY)
Digital RMB (数字人民币, e-CNY) hard wallets are an emerging option at pilots — for example, tapping through metro turnstiles or paying at exhibitions — and can be used without a Chinese bank account. Coverage is still uneven and event-driven, but for short visits during major conferences or in pilot districts, an e-CNY hard wallet can be a convenient, account-free fallback.
What to do next
- Before you fly: notify your home bank of China travel; install Alipay and/or Weixin and complete passport registration; check whether your home e-wallet supports “外包内用”.
- On arrival: bind a foreign card in the wallet; withdraw some RMB cash at an airport ATM or exchange counter; keep small notes handy.
- If staying long-term: open a Chinese bank account with passport + residence permit; convert your wallet to a real-name account for full limits.
- When shopping big: use “Tax Free” stores and ask about instant/one-tap refund; keep invoices and goods for departure checks.
- Always: never assume a foreign card works everywhere — keep cash as the backstop; if any merchant refuses RMB cash, that is unlawful.
Sources
- 国务院办公厅《关于进一步优化支付服务提升支付便利性的意见》（国办发〔2024〕19号）解读 — https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/202312/content_6923011.htm
- 中国人民银行（提升境外来华人士支付便利化水平）— http://www.pbc.gov.cn (official portal)
- 中国人民银行行长就外籍来华人员支付便利化答记者问 — https://www.gov.cn (official portal)
- 国家外汇管理局（外卡受理、外币兑换、离境退税相关地方措施）— https://www.safe.gov.cn (official portal)
- 中国政府网 / 中国人民银行分支机构支付便利化工作通报 — https://www.gov.cn (official portal)
Related reading
- see also: 在华生活-来华生活指南 (the broader starter guide for expatriates)
- see also: 在华生活-来华生活指南 (healthcare access & medical insurance)
- see also: 银行支付-跨境支付 (cross-border service payments for companies)
在中国怎么付钱：外籍来华人员的支付实操指南
概述
对初到者而言，在中国日常生活中最令人无所适从的，往往不是语言，而是”付钱”。这个从刷卡时代直接跃迁到扫码时代的国家，对只带着一张境外 Visa 和一叠现钞的人可能显得”封闭”。好消息是：自 2023 年底起、并在 2024 年制度化，中国由人民银行牵头、依据国务院办公厅文件，开展了一场协同的全国性行动，让外籍人士”能顺畅付钱”。本文梳理整个支付版图——移动钱包、境外卡、现金、银行账户、退税与数字人民币——并告诉你抵达前后该做什么，无论停留一周还是十年。
政策背景
参照文件是 2024 年出台的国务院办公厅《关于进一步优化支付服务提升支付便利性的意见》（国办发〔2024〕19号）。其设计原则——人民银行负责人多次重申——是“大额刷卡、小额扫码、现金兜底”。人民银行建立了专项跨部门工作机制，此后推动了可量化的扩围：商户外卡受理、”外卡内绑”与”外包内用”移动支付、ATM 外卡取现改造、拒收人民币现金专项整治、以及简化银行开户。上海、深圳前海、大连等地方试点叠加了城市级举措，如多语种支付指南、一站式入境服务平台、重大活动期间的即时退税。
路径一——移动支付（默认选项）
两大机制向外籍人士开放了中国的扫码经济：
- 外卡内绑：在支付宝或微信支付内，访客可用护照注册，绑定境外 Visa、Mastercard、JCB、American Express、Discover/Diners 等卡，扫码付款。低于设定额度的小额交易可免重复身份核验。
- 外包内用：部分境外电子钱包可直接用于境内扫码支付。可用境外钱包/钱包网络已扩至多个国家和地区的数十个（如 PayPal 及多种亚洲电子钱包），旅客有时能用在本国已惯用的 App 付款。
实务提示：适用交易额度与日/年上限；钱包可能收取少量外汇或服务费；一切基于 App，稳定的网络（漫游、eSIM 或本地 SIM）必不可少。
路径二——境外银行卡
外卡受理扩张最快之处，恰是访客最需要的地方：机场、口岸、火车站、酒店、大型商场与指定重点商圈。人民银行已指导银行与支付机构将重点商户改造为可受理外卡的 POS，并升级 ATM，使更多机具能向境外卡取现。实际使用量陡增——主要城市外卡交易额同比增长可达数十个百分点。但受理并非无处不在：请预期在”大而正规”的场所可用，社区面馆则未必。
路径三——现金（不可被拒的兜底）
在中国拒收人民币现金属于违法。人民银行持续开展”拒收现金”专项整治，要求商户接受现钞。改进包括 ATM 外卡取现、更多外币兑换点（机场、重点酒店、部分商场）、以及小面额”零钱包”。建议：随身携带小额现钞（¥1、¥5、¥10、¥20），用于出租车、菜市场、小摊贩以及移动与卡受理较薄弱的乡村地区。
常住人员：开立中国银行账户
若持有居留许可（工作、学习、家庭），开立中国银行账户可解锁完整生态：实名支付宝/微信、工资代发、水电、房租及更高支付额度。人民银行推动银行实施账户分类分级管理并简化外籍人士开户。请携护照与居留许可；部分银行还要求就业、住址证明或中国手机号。一旦账户与移动钱包完成实名绑定，日常生活便与本地人无异。
购物退税
面向境外游客的离境退税在 2026 年扩围提速。除机场”离境退税”外，各城市推出合格门店的即买即退与一键退税，部分地区将退税体验压缩至两分钟以内。认准”Tax Free”标识，保留货物与发票，购买前确认适用条件（起退金额、货物未使用、离境时限）。
新兴：数字人民币（e-CNY）
数字人民币（e-CNY）硬钱包是试点中的新兴选项——如刷卡过地铁闸机、展会付款——且无需中国银行账户。覆盖仍不均衡、多由活动驱动，但对重大会议期间的短期到访或试点区域，e-CNY 硬钱包可作为便捷、免账户的兜底方式。
下一步建议
- 出发前：告知本国银行你将来华；安装支付宝/微信并完成护照注册；确认本国钱包是否支持”外包内用”。
- 抵达时：在钱包内绑定境外卡；在机场 ATM 或兑换柜台取些人民币现金；备好小额现钞。
- 长期居留：用护照＋居留许可开立中国银行账户；将钱包升级为实名账户以获取完整额度。
- 大额购物：选”Tax Free”门店并询问即买即退/一键退税；保留发票与货物以备离境查验。
- 始终：勿假定外卡处处可用——以现金兜底；若商户拒收人民币现金，属违法行为。
来源
- 国务院办公厅《关于进一步优化支付服务提升支付便利性的意见》（国办发〔2024〕19号）解读 — https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/202312/content_6923011.htm
- 中国人民银行（提升境外来华人士支付便利化水平）— http://www.pbc.gov.cn
- 中国人民银行行长就外籍来华人员支付便利化答记者问 — https://www.gov.cn
- 国家外汇管理局（外卡受理、外币兑换、离境退税相关地方措施）— https://www.safe.gov.cn
- 中国政府网 / 中国人民银行分支机构支付便利化工作通报 — https://www.gov.cn
相关阅读
- 参见：在华生活-来华生活指南（更完整的外籍人士入门指南）
- 参见：在华生活-来华生活指南（在华就医与医疗保险）
- 参见：银行支付-跨境支付（企业的跨境服务费支付）