Can foreigners use the metro in China without a Chinese phone number or bank card?

Yes. Alipay registers with an overseas number and a linked foreign card, and the ride code works the same as for locals. In Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu you can skip the app entirely and tap a foreign Visa/Mastercard/AmEx/UnionPay card at the gate.

Which cities let foreigners tap a bank card on the metro?

Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu accept tapped foreign bank cards at metro gates, per the official 2026 guidance for foreign business travelers, plus Beijing's S2 line and Shanghai's maglev and city rail lines. Other cities still need a ride code or a ticket.

Is the Alipay ride code more expensive than a metro ticket?

No — same fare as a single-ride ticket, and in Shanghai riders get the same local discounts, including 10% off after spending ¥70 on metro in a month. The 3% foreign-card service fee only applies to Alipay purchases over ¥200, which a metro ride never is.

Do I need to activate a new ride code in every city?

Yes — the code is city-specific. Open Alipay → Transport and select the new city; activation takes seconds since your identity is already verified. Your previously activated cities stay one tap away.

What if the gate shows an error when I scan?

Stand back and regenerate the code, then try the same lane again. If it fails twice, walk to the staffed counter — they will let you through with a paper ticket after a quick check. Do not tailgate through a gate; fines run 5–10× the fare.

China Metro QR Codes for Foreigners: Every City's Best Method (2026)

Short answer

Foreign visitors have three routes into China's metros. In Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu you can tap a Visa, Mastercard, AmEx or UnionPay bank card directly at the gates — no app, no ticket. Everywhere else, activate the ride code inside Alipay (Transport → your city), or use the local metro app like Shanghai's Metro大都会. Single-ride tickets from machines and staffed counters also accept cash and foreign cards.

The three methods, ranked

Tap your bank card at the gate — the newest and simplest option, but only in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu (plus Beijing's suburban S2 line and Shanghai's maglev and city rail lines). Hold a Visa, Mastercard, American Express or UnionPay card on the gate reader like a transit card. No purchase, no app, no registration.
Alipay ride code — works in essentially every city with a metro (China has 55 of them). Open Alipay → Transport (出行) → pick your city → verify your identity once → a QR code appears, refreshed each ride. Payment pulls from your linked foreign card. One activation covers buses too in most cities.
Local metro apps — Shanghai's Metro大都会 (Metro Dahuiyuan) app registers with a passport and binds the same payment channels as Alipay or WeChat, then rides are charged after you exit (先乘后付). Worth it only if you ride Shanghai's metro daily and want its trip-history features.

City-by-city: the best method for each of the 10 metro cities

Guilin and Zhangjiajie — two of China's most-visited scenic areas — have no metro at all. City buses take cash or Alipay, and for the scenic areas themselves you are dealing with shuttle buses and park tickets, not metro gates; see our Guilin-Yangshuo and Zhangjiajie booking guides for those.

City	Best method for foreigners	Notes
Beijing	Tap card at gate	Foreign cards work on subway lines and the S2 suburban line; Alipay ride code also fine
Shanghai	Tap card at gate, or Metro大都会 app	All station service centers take foreign cards for tickets; maglev gates accept tapped cards too
Guangzhou	Tap card at gate	Alipay ride code covers buses as well
Chengdu	Tap card at gate	City buses also accept tapped cards on POS readers
Shenzhen	Alipay ride code	Fastest setup — activate in under a minute with a passport
Chongqing	Alipay ride code	Deep valley lines with long escalators; allow transfer time
Xi'an	Alipay ride code	Lines 2/3 cover the Bell Tower and Terracotta Army connections
Hangzhou	Alipay ride code	Also valid on Shaoxing and Huzhou connected lines
Nanjing	Alipay ride code	Line to the high-speed south station runs late
Suzhou	Alipay ride code	Connects with Shanghai metro network transfers at border stations

Activating the Alipay ride code, step by step

Open Alipay → Transport (the bus icon, labeled 出行).
Select the city you are in — the app uses location, but confirm manually when traveling.
First time only: verify your identity with your passport photo. This is the same verification you did when linking your card.
The ride code appears with a refreshed background each time. Hold it over the gate scanner — same lane as locals, same fare.
Repeat per city. Each city's code activates on first selection; after that it is one tap away.

When the QR route fails, fall back to tickets

Every metro sells single-ride tickets at machines and staffed counters. Machines take coins and small notes; staffed counters accept cash and, in big cities, foreign bank cards — Shanghai runs foreign-card POS at every station's service center.
Day passes (one-day, three-day) are usually sold at counters and make sense if you are doing 4+ rides a day.
Gates are narrow at rush hour and security checks exist at every entrance — bags go through an X-ray scanner, which takes 10–20 extra seconds per station.
No signal in the station? Ride codes are generated offline once activated, but if the app shows a blank screen, head to the counter — this is the failure mode that catches people whose eSIM just died.

Related guides

Where these matter

Official sources

Policies and booking channels change — check the official channel before you rely on it.