Can visitors really pay with a phone everywhere in China?

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Maya L.

Moderator recommended

Recommended by moderators as a useful current answer.

In most cities, daily payments are mobile-first. Restaurants, convenience stores, transport, delivery, and many small shops expect phone payment. But visitors should still prepare a backup plan.

The safest setup is to connect an international card to a major payment app if possible, keep one physical card available, and carry a small amount of cash for edge cases.

Jonas K.

I used mobile payment in Shanghai and Hangzhou almost everywhere, but one small market still preferred cash.

Moderator

Good note. Small shops and markets are exactly where visitors should keep a backup method.

Li Wei

For transit, city apps can differ. It would be helpful to have city-by-city notes later.