Phones & payments in China

Readers often ask about phone connectivity and payments in China.

PAYING

For mobile app payments — shops in China, from supermarkets and convenience stores to market stalls, accept WeChat and Alipay as a method of payment.

WeChat and Alipay are mobile payment apps that allow you to link your bank accounts or debit/credit cards to pay for items using a QR code on your phone.

For cards — I use Westpac Worldwide Wallet, and also a Wise travel card.

CONNECTING

For eSIMs, it is best to set-up before you leave.

The China Mainland eSIM works well.

Search online for “China Mainland eSIM au.trip.com”.

BLOCKING

The Great Firewall in China blocks lots of sites, including Google services (Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps), major social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, X, WhatsApp, and Threads), streaming sites (Netflix, Spotify, and Twitch), and numerous news outlets (BBC, New York Times, CNN, and Wall Street Journal). You just have to live with and work around that.

OUR READER

I gave that advice to a reader before she went to China, and she has just returned.

She writes: “We used the link you provided to purchase an eSIM, it was simple to download Alipay which we linked to our virtual Wise card.

“We used Alipay on our phones for the whole of our trip and were one of the few travellers in our group that didn’t have any issues accessing money and purchasing items.

“This would not have happened without your help.

“By having an eSIM downloaded before we left meant we didn’t have any connection issues at all and definitely made accessing Alipay easy.

“As for accessing many of the sites generally blocked, this only happened while in the hotels. While on the coaches and trains using the eSIM, these sites were all available.”