Do I need a Chinese bank account?

No. A passport and an international card are enough.

Why was my card rejected?

Most often the issuing country or a debit-versus-credit restriction. Try the other wallet, then a second card.

Expect roughly 3% on larger transactions, with small everyday amounts fee-free. Check the wallet's own disclosure — it changes.

How do I link a foreign card to Alipay or WeChat Pay?

Short answer

Open Alipay or WeChat, go to the wallet's card section, add your international Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Amex or Discover card and complete identity verification with your passport. The passport name must match the cardholder name. Once linked, scan merchant QR codes to pay.

The steps

Install Alipay or WeChat and open the wallet or cards section
Choose add card and enter the international card number and expiry date
Complete identity verification with your passport number
Pay by scanning any merchant QR code

What to expect after linking

Small transactions are fee-free; larger ones carry roughly a 3% service fee
Cards issued in some regions are rejected entirely — try the other wallet
A few services still need a mainland-issued card, so keep some cash

Common failure points

Card rejected, verification SMS never arrives, and the QR will not scan at the counter. The ChinaPass app carries offline troubleshooting for each of these, which matters most when you are standing at a till with no data.

Related guides

Official sources

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