Internet and payments in China

Free WiFi is widely available in the airport and in the hotel. However, sometimes a verification (e.g. with your phone number) is needed before you can use WiFi. To get unlimited access to the internet (e.g. google), we recommend using eSIM. Purchasing an eSIM package before you leave for China may be a good idea. Various eSIMs are available from the market (e.g. Airalo).

You can use credit cards for payments (e.g. at the airport, in the hotel). However, some local shops may not accept credit cards. Therefore, we recommend installing Alipay or Wechat before you come to China and having your account activated (available from Google Play). Both Alipay and Wechat are the widely used apps for payments. Paying with cash is rarely seen in these days. Here is how it works. Take Alipay for example, you first install it on your phone. Then you can top up the balance or just link your bank card to your Alipay account. When making payments, you can choose whether to pay from balance or to pay directly from the bank account. Don’t worry if you don’t know how to make payments with Alipay or Wechat, the local people will show you how. The important thing is that you have the apps installed and account activated on your phone. If you still don’t know how, just google ‘how to use Alipay for payments’.