Do Visa and Mastercard work in China?
Sometimes, and you can check at the counter. The People's Bank of China (PBC, the central bank) says cards issued in your home country or region can be accepted where the logos of UnionPay, Visa, Mastercard and other payment organisations are displayed at the checkout counter. If there is no logo, ask the cashier.
Only UnionPay gets an “any merchant” line. The same guide, in its Shanghai edition, says a UnionPay card issued outside mainland China can be accepted by any merchant POS terminal in the mainland. It does not say that about Visa or Mastercard, or that every shop takes them. A Xinhua text on english.www.gov.cn (updated 11 April 2024) repeats the logo rule and the UnionPay line.
So the answer to “Visa or only UnionPay?” is this: Visa and Mastercard can be accepted where the logo is up. If you hold a UnionPay card issued abroad, it is the one with the “any merchant” wording. Either way, carry a backup (see the options below).
Where do foreign credit cards work: hotels, sights, airports, malls?
Government documents from March and April 2024 set targets for where foreign bank cards should be accepted. They are goals for local authorities and banks, not a promise for every till. Read the table as “where you have the best chance”.
| Place | What the official documents say |
|---|---|
| Three-star and above tourist hotels | Named for full coverage of domestic and foreign bank cards in Circular Yinfa [2024] No. 76 (1 April 2024). For other hotels, the Beijing, Shanghai and Hainan culture and tourism bureaus draw up key-merchant lists and promote wider acceptance of domestic and foreign bank cards. |
| Scenic areas, resorts, tourism streets | The same circular names national 5A and 4A scenic areas, national and provincial tourist resorts and national tourism and leisure streets for full coverage. Xinhua adds that major attractions should keep ticket booths and ticketing staff. The circular also tells local authorities to guide online ticket sellers to support domestic and foreign bank cards; it does not say which sites do. In Shanghai, an official of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said at the 1 March 2024 briefing that 3A and above scenic areas were being pushed to open foreign-card POS. |
| Airports and railway stations | PBC deputy governor Zhang Qingsong said at the 1 March 2024 State Council Information Office briefing that the PBC guides banks and payment institutions to switch on foreign cards at big business districts, airports and railway stations. An official of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said Beijing set up payment-service demonstration zones for overseas guests at Capital and Daxing airports. Neither statement says every shop in a terminal takes your card. |
| Malls, supermarkets, restaurants, duty-free | The 15 April 2024 circular lists large business districts, pedestrian streets, shopping centres, department stores, chain supermarkets and convenience stores, restaurants, tax-refund shops and duty-free shops. They are to be equipped to accept mobile payment, domestic and foreign bank cards and cash. International consumption centre cities aim to “basically achieve” full foreign-card acceptance at key merchants in key business districts. |
| Taxis, small shops, street food | The PBC guide, the circulars and the briefing don’t say whether these take foreign cards. State Council document No. 10 (1 March 2024) says large key venues “must” be equipped to accept mobile payment, bank cards and cash, and only “encourages” smaller ones. |
One regional number, with its date: Zhang Qingsong said at that briefing that foreign-card acceptance at key merchants in Shanghai and Zhejiang was already over 90%. That is a March 2024 figure for two regions, not a national one. None of the circulars or the briefing gives a nationwide count of shops, hotels, airports or malls that take foreign cards.
For city detail, see our Beijing travel guide and Shanghai travel guide. For metro rides, we have separate pages on Beijing subway payment and the Shanghai metro with a foreign card.
How can I tell if a shop takes my foreign card before I order?
- Look at the checkout counter for a Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay logo. State Council document No. 10 calls for signs for foreign-card payment, ATM withdrawal and currency exchange to be posted, so logos are what you are looking for.
- No logo? Ask the cashier, as the PBC guide says. We’d ask before ordering, not at the till.
- At a hotel, ask in advance. The Ministry of Commerce’s 2024 guide for foreign business people says to pay on arrival by cash (RMB), bank card, Alipay or WeChat, and to “ask in advance whether Mastercard, Visa and other international cards are accepted”. It adds that some hotels take Apple Pay and PayPal, and to ask before paying.
- Keep a second way to pay ready: Alipay or WeChat Pay, or cash.
Can I tap my foreign card in China, and do I need a PIN or signature?
The government pages don’t say. The PBC guide, State Council document No. 10 and the 15 April 2024 circular say nothing about PIN or signature at the terminal. Contactless appears only as an instruction to banks: when they upgrade card machines, they should “consider promoting contactless payment” (统筹考虑推动非接触式支付发展). That is a direction for upgrades. It does not say your foreign card will tap at a given terminal.
So we can’t tell you from official pages whether a terminal will take a tap, insert or swipe, or ask for a PIN or signature. Your card issuer can tell you what your card supports abroad.
What does it cost to pay by foreign card in China, and who sets the exchange rate?
The PBC guide, document No. 10 and the April 2024 circulars set no foreign-transaction fee and no exchange rate for a foreign-card purchase. What you pay on top and the rate you get depend on your card issuer and the card network, so ask your issuer. We give no percentage because none of these pages sets one.
The cost on the other side of the counter is stated, but without a number. At the 1 March 2024 briefing, Zhang Qingsong named two of the main hurdles for foreign visitors: foreign cards cost merchants far more than domestic payments, and few merchants accept them. Paying with a card linked to Alipay or WeChat Pay is a different route with its own fee rule, covered below.
Foreign card declined in China? Your options
Zhang Qingsong described the PBC’s approach at the same briefing as “large payments by card, small payments by QR code, cash as the backstop” (大额刷卡、小额扫码、现金兜底). It works as a plan for you too.
- Another card. Ask if a different card works. A UnionPay card issued abroad is covered by the “any merchant” line above.
- QR code. Link your card to Alipay or WeChat Pay and scan the shop’s code (next section).
- Cash. RMB cash can be withdrawn with bank cards at ATMs showing the logos of the matching card organisation. Currency can be exchanged at bank outlets with exchange signs, at qualified institutions or at self-service kiosks. Limits and exchange details are on our cash in China page.
- e-CNY wallet. The PBC guide says you can open an e-CNY wallet with your overseas phone number, top it up with a Visa or Mastercard, and transfer any remaining balance back to the card.
- Ticket windows. Xinhua’s 11 April 2024 summary says major attractions should keep ticket booths and ticketing staff, so you are not tied to an app.
Can I link my foreign card to Alipay or WeChat Pay, and what are the limits?
Yes. The Ministry of Commerce’s 2024 guide lists cards with Mastercard, Visa, JCB, Diners Club or Discover logos, plus Chinese bank cards with the UnionPay logo. Two catches: your card issuer must authorise the link, and some issuers refuse it. The guide suggests contacting the issuer’s customer service if that happens.
The limit is US$5,000 per transaction and US$50,000 per year, raised in 2024 from US$1,000 and US$10,000. The Ministry of Commerce’s 2024 guide said there was no extra fee up to 200 yuan per payment and a 3% service fee on payments above 200 yuan. That is April 2024 wording. Our WeChat Pay with a foreign card page has the steps and covers the fee details.
How current is this?
The circulars and the briefing above date from 1 March to 15 April 2024. They show what officials set out to do, not what every shop does today. If a shop’s answer differs from this page, go with the shop.
