About Alipay
Alipay, a third-party payment service platform, was launched on October 15, 2003, initially as a department of Taobao, a website under the Alibaba Group. It became independently operated on December 8, 2004, and now serves as a subsidiary of Ant Group, independent of the Alibaba Group. From a single payment tool, Alipay has evolved into an open platform offering multiple scenarios, including payment, lifestyle services, government services, social interactions, wealth management, insurance, and public welfare, gradually covering all industries.
Currently, Alipay is the largest independent third-party payment platform in mainland China and one of the mainstream payment methods there. Most mainland Chinese people have replaced cash or credit cards with Alipay for transactions.
The Most Comprehensive Guide for International Users to Use Alipay in Mainland China
After downloading Alipay and binding a bank card (currently supporting international bank cards including Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Discover® , and Diners Club International® ), international users can use Alipay to pay at tens of millions of merchants in daily scenarios such as dining, entertainment, and shopping in China, just like Chinese users. In addition to payment services, Alipay has also joined hands with industry partners to provide convenient online digital services for international tourists, including online translation, taxi-hailing, hotel booking, scenic spot ticket reservation, bus riding, power bank rental, and exchange rate inquiry. It currently supports 16 language translations, helping international friends travel across China with just one mobile phone.
It is very simple for international users to use Alipay in mainland China. The first step is to download, install, and register for Alipay, and the second step is to bind an overseas bank card. Currently, it supports bank cards issued by major overseas card organizations such as Visa, Mastercard, Diners Club, and Discover. After the bank card is successfully bound, it can be used. The usage is the same as that of domestic users and can be used wherever Alipay is accepted for consumption.
(1) Documents Required
International users, as well as users from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao, China, can register for and use the mainland Chinese version of Alipay. The corresponding documents need to be prepared before registration.
(2) Registration and Authentication Process
After preparing the corresponding documents, let’s see how to register and bind a bank card.
Step 1: Download the Alipay App and Register an Account
First, download the Alipay App and register an account. After downloading, click “Register Account” and select the “International Version”. Open the Alipay App and click the “Register” button. There are two registration methods: mobile phone number or email. Fill in the relevant information as prompted, complete the identity verification, and the Alipay account will be successfully registered.
Step 2: Bind a Bank Card
After registering the account, the next step is to bind a bank card (Add Bank Card). It supports Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and Diners Club. Click “Add Now” to enter the card-binding page and follow the page prompts to complete the card-binding operation. Follow the prompts to complete the binding steps, which may require identity verification and SMS confirmation to ensure the accuracy of the information. After the card is successfully bound, Alipay can be used to pay at any place that supports Alipay payment!
(3) Usage Guide
It is also very simple to use Alipay for payment. You can scan the merchant’s QR code and enter the amount for payment, or you can present your QR code for the merchant to scan for successful payment.
Payment Method ①: Click “Scan”, and scan the merchant’s QR code.
Payment Method ②: Click “Receive/Pay”, and present your QR code.
(4) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Do international users need to pay a handling fee for using Alipay in China?
When the cumulative payment amount reaches $500, identity information needs to be uploaded for authentication if continued use is required. In addition, users need to pay a certain handling fee for using the foreign card binding service. Alipay waives the handling fee for single transactions with an amount not exceeding 200 RMB. For single transactions with an amount exceeding 200 RMB, a 3% handling fee will be charged. - Must international users recharge Alipay to make payments in China?
Recharging is not necessary. You can directly bind a bank card, and the payment will be directly deducted from the bank card. - Can international users use Alipay for transfers?
Yes. Multiple Alipay real-name accounts under the same ID card enjoy a basic free quota of 20,000 RMB (including transfers to bank cards and cash withdrawals from account balances). After exceeding the quota, a service fee of 0.1% will be charged on the exceeded amount, with a minimum of 0.1 RMB per transaction. Non-real-name accounts currently have no basic free quota, and a service fee of 0.1% will be charged on the amount transferred to the card, with a minimum of 0.1 RMB per transaction. - How to set the language on Alipay?
It is also important to set the English language for those who do not understand Chinese. On the “My” page of Alipay, click the settings icon in the upper right corner to enter the settings page. Then select “General”, and find the “Multilingual” option in the general settings. Click to enter and select “English” to set Alipay to the English language.
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