Paying in China in Chinese: QR codes, cash and cards
Paying is the one thing in China that is genuinely different from home. A QR code has replaced the till in most shops, stalls and taxis, and the words 微信 and 支付宝 come up in almost every transaction you'll have.
The good news: you don't need to speak Chinese to pay, you need the app installed. The phrases below are for the moments that app doesn't work — a card that fails, a shop that won't take cash, or a till that only shows you Chinese.
8 steps · 8 phrases · tap any phrase to hear it
Listen to all 8
Hands-free playback — good for a taxi, a queue, or the plane.
Back-to-back Chinese — good once the phrases are familiar.
- 1
Ask before you commit
You may hear
扫码。
Sǎo mǎ.
Scan the code.
The all-purpose question when you can't see a card reader or a cash box. In a small shop it's worth asking before you order or eat, because the answer can change where you sit down.
- 2
Pay the way China pays
You may hear
可以，你扫我。
Kěyǐ, nǐ sǎo wǒ.
Sure — you scan me.
Two directions of scanning, and it matters which: if they say 你扫我 you scan their code; if they show a scanner or say 我扫你, you open your own payment code (付款码) and let them scan you. Foreign cards can be linked inside Alipay or WeChat Pay — do that before you fly, not at the till.
- 3
Check whether cash works
You may hear
不好意思，不收现金。
Bù hǎoyìsi, bù shōu xiànjīn.
Sorry, we don't take cash.
Cash still works in most places, but plenty of small stalls and a few restaurants don't keep a float or change. Ask 收现金吗 before you queue rather than after — and keep small notes, since a 100 for a 7 yuan purchase can be a problem either way.
- 4
Try a card, expecting the answer
You may hear
我们只收扫码。
Wǒmen zhǐ shōu sǎo mǎ.
We only take QR payment.
Cards work at hotels, big chains and airports, and much less reliably in between. Chinese terminals also run on UnionPay rails first, so a Visa or Mastercard that works at your hotel may simply fail in a noodle shop.
- 5
When the card fails
You may hear
试试支付宝。
Shìshi Zhīfùbǎo.
Try Alipay.
A declined card is the most common payment failure for visitors, and it's usually the terminal rather than your bank. 不能用 is a useful frame on its own: 这个不能用 (this one doesn't work), and pointing still does the heavy lifting.
- 6
When a payment hangs
You may hear
支付失败了。
Zhīfù shībài le.
The payment failed.
Say it and show your screen — the Chinese on it will tell staff more than your sentence will. If the money left your account anyway, that's a 退款 (tuìkuǎn, refund), and Alipay keeps a transaction list you can show; screenshots are accepted, arguing is not necessary.
- 7
Split a bill for a group
You may hear
可以，一个一个来。
Kěyǐ, yīgè yīgè lái.
Sure — one at a time.
Say it before the cashier starts scanning, and expect to scan one after another rather than in one go. If it's one person paying for everyone, the phrase to use is 我来付 (I'll get this) — and people do argue over the bill here, so offering is polite, not rude.
- 8
Ask for the receipt you actually need
You may hear
你要发票吗？
Nǐ yào fāpiào ma?
Do you need a receipt?
发票 (fāpiào) is the official tax invoice — different from the printed till slip, and the document you need for expense claims and for the tourist tax refund at the airport. Ask before you pay: a 发票 usually has to be issued from the original transaction.
Also worth having ready
Not part of the flow, but the ones people wish they'd practised before this situation.
Common questions
- Can I use cash in China?
- Usually yes, but not everywhere — many small shops and stalls no longer keep change, and some only accept QR payment. 收现金吗 (do you take cash?) is the question to ask before you order, and it's worth keeping small notes rather than 100s.
- Can foreigners use Alipay and WeChat Pay in China?
- Yes. Both apps let you link an international Visa or Mastercard inside the app, and both have in-app English. Set it up before you fly: almost everything from taxis to noodle shops is paid by scanning a QR code, and this is the single most useful thing you can prepare.
- Why does my card keep failing in China?
- Chinese payment terminals are built around UnionPay and QR payments, so foreign cards often work at hotels and big chains but fail in smaller shops. 我的卡不能用 (my card doesn't work) is the phrase; switching to Alipay or WeChat Pay is usually the fix.
Every phrase used here, in full
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