slug: alipay-setup title: "Alipay Tour Card Setup for Foreigners" section: payment summary: "Set up Alipay's prepaid Tour Card in minutes using your foreign passport — no Chinese bank account needed." lastVerified: "2026-06-26" officialSourceUrl: "https://www.alipay.com"
Alipay is accepted at hundreds of millions of merchants across China — restaurants, convenience stores, metro systems, tourist attractions, and everything in between. The Tour Card is the recommended product for foreign visitors: it is a prepaid balance loaded with your foreign card that you spend via QR code scan. No Chinese bank account and no local SIM card are required.
Tour Card vs Regular Alipay
Regular Alipay requires a Chinese bank account and a Chinese phone number for full functionality. The Tour Card avoids both requirements. It is a prepaid wallet specifically designed for tourists visiting China — you fund it with your international card and use the resulting RMB balance at any Alipay-enabled merchant.
What You Need Before You Start
Before downloading Alipay, make sure you have the following ready:
- A smartphone running iOS or Android
- A valid foreign passport (used for identity verification)
- A Visa or Mastercard debit or credit card issued outside China (American Express may not be supported for the Tour Card top-up)
- An email address for account registration
Setting Up Alipay Tour Card
- 1Download the Alipay app
Search for 'Alipay' in the App Store or Google Play and install the official app from Ant Group. The international version includes an English language option — tap the globe icon during setup to switch.
- 2Sign up with your mobile number
Open the app and tap 'Sign Up'. Select your country code and enter your overseas mobile number. You will receive an SMS verification code to confirm your number.
- 3Find the Tour Card
After signing in, look for the Tour Card banner on the app homepage. If you do not see it immediately, tap the search bar at the top and type 'Tour Card' — the option should appear in the results.
- 4Verify your identity with your passport
Tap to begin identity verification. Place your passport photo page flat on a well-lit surface and use the in-app camera to scan it. Hold the phone steady and wait for the scan to complete — the process typically takes 2–5 minutes.
- 5Add your foreign Visa or Mastercard
Enter your card number, expiry date, CVV, and billing address. This card becomes the funding source for Tour Card top-ups. An OTP may be sent to your card's registered phone number to confirm.
- 6Top up your Tour Card balance
The minimum top-up is typically ¥100 (approximately USD 14 at 2026 rates). Choose an amount, confirm the charge to your linked card, and wait for the balance to appear — usually within a few seconds.
- 7Make a payment
At any merchant displaying an Alipay QR code, open Alipay and tap 'Pay'. You can either show your personal payment barcode for the merchant to scan, or tap 'Scan' to scan the merchant's QR code yourself.
Top-Up Limits and Fees
Single top-up amounts are typically capped at ¥5,000 per transaction, with a Tour Card balance ceiling of ¥50,000. These limits are sufficient for most tourist stays. The app shows your current limits inside the Tour Card section — check there for the most up-to-date figures, as Alipay adjusts limits periodically.
When you top up, Alipay applies a foreign exchange rate at the time of the transaction. The rate is set by Alipay and includes a small spread. There is no additional fee displayed at checkout, but your card issuer may charge a foreign transaction fee on its end.
Unused Balance
Any RMB remaining on your Tour Card at the end of your trip can be refunded to the original linked card. Refunds can take several business days to process. For fastest handling, request the refund while you are still in China with a stable internet connection rather than after you have returned home.
Where Alipay Works
The Tour Card functions wherever Alipay is accepted, which covers an enormous range of merchants:
- Restaurants — from street food stalls with a paper QR code taped to the counter all the way up to sit-down restaurants in major hotels
- Convenience stores — FamilyMart, 7-Eleven, Lawson, and most local chains
- Supermarkets — RT-Mart, Carrefour China, Hema Fresh, and local supermarket chains
- Transport — metro systems in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and most major cities; Didi ride-hailing; some inter-city coach services
- Tourist attractions — most national parks, museums, and heritage sites accept Alipay for entry tickets
- Accommodation — many hotels and youth hostels that accept mobile payment
Keep a Small Cash Backup
A few older vendors, rural market stalls, and some smaller towns still only accept cash. Carrying ¥200–300 in RMB gives you a practical safety net without relying entirely on mobile payment.