Prepare your account before arrival where possible. A linked card is only a setup milestone: check an actual merchant payment before relying on it for your journey.
CHECK YOUR SETUP
Before you start
- Alipay from your device’s official app store and a working internet connection.
- Access to your registration number and any bank verification method.
- An eligible international card; your passport if the app requests identity checks.
THE NORMAL PATH
Your steps
Register using the number you can keep
Alipay supports registration with an overseas mobile number. Choose its country code and follow the app prompts. Keep access to that number during the trip. Complete any identity check inside the app; the prompts shown to your account take priority over this guide.
Add the card
In the published English menu, open Me > Bank Cards and follow the instructions. Eligibility depends on the network and issuer. Enter your own card details in the app, never into this website. If linking fails, note the message and ask the issuer or Alipay support about that specific error.
Prepare a merchant purchase
At a staffed merchant, ask whether Alipay is accepted. Use Scan for the merchant’s purchase code or show your payment code for the cashier to scan. Review the amount, currency and funding card before authorising. Read any fee shown in the app and check your issuer’s charges separately.
Confirm the outcome before trying again
Look for the transaction result in the app and ask the merchant to confirm receipt. Card linking or a screenshot of a payment code does not prove payment. If status is uncertain, check the transaction history before retrying to avoid paying twice.
LOOK FOR THIS
Check it worked
- A merchant purchase has a successful transaction result and the merchant confirms it.
- You can find the payment record and identify the card used.
- You have a backup way to pay; this guide does not guarantee every merchant or transaction will work.
KEEP A BACKUP
If it doesn’t work
The signup code never arrives
Keep the country code and registered number visible, then use the SMS troubleshooting guide. Do not create a chain of replacement accounts to get around a verification prompt.
The card is linked but a payment fails
Separate merchant acceptance, identity prompts and issuer approval. Use the payment-failure guide rather than repeatedly removing and adding the same card.
You need to leave before setup works
Ask whether the merchant accepts another payment method. The national guide describes RMB cash and compatible-card ATMs as alternatives. Confirm acceptance before using a service that you cannot yet pay for.
SHOW THIS AT THE COUNTER
Your bilingual help card
Can I pay for this purchase with Alipay? My overseas card payment failed. Do you accept RMB cash or another payment method?
这笔消费可以用支付宝付款吗？我的境外银行卡支付失败了。可以用人民币现金或其他方式付款吗？
This card asks for help. It does not confirm eligibility, payment or a booking.
Download an HTML snapshot, then open the file without internet. Source links require a connection.
Sources & verification
Public instructions reviewed 2026-10-03. Device, app version, carrier and card compatibility have not been tested by Newcomer China. Screens and requirements can change.
KEEP YOUR PLAN MOVING