PayPal and your home payment apps in China

Save time and skip payment hassles in Chongqing by knowing exactly which home apps work on the street. US PayPal lets you pay directly at WeChat Pay merchants, Polish BLIK taps at Mastercard card readers, and linking your bank card to Alipay or WeChat Pay covers everything else.

TenPayGo is Tencent’s standalone payment app for visitors to China. Register with your email, then link an overseas Visa, Mastercard or JCB card, Apple Pay, or a partner wallet. At mainland Chinese shops that accept WeChat Pay, scan the merchant’s code or show your payment code. You can get started without a Chinese phone number, WeChat account or Chinese bank card. Download it from App Store or Google Play.

Can you use PayPal in China?

Yes. On 11 August 2026, PayPal launched in-store QR payments in China for US PayPal users. This feature lets you scan a participating Weixin Pay merchant QR code or present your own code at checkout using your PayPal Balance.

Before flying to Chongqing (重庆), complete these four simple steps:

1. Update your PayPal app to the newest version.
2. Add funds to your PayPal Balance account and check your top-up options.
3. Turn on location permissions so the app recognizes when you land in China.
4. Open the in-store payment tab in the app to practice scanning and presenting a code.

This feature applies only to personal US PayPal accounts. Accounts registered in other countries cannot use this specific Weixin Pay QR link. For online hotel or flight bookings, standard international PayPal checkout on travel sites works separately.

PayPal World charges no consumer transaction fee for these in-store purchases. Payments draw directly from your PayPal Balance, and currency conversion follows standard PayPal rates shown in the app. The app also displays your daily spending limits.

How popular home apps compare

Venmo and Zelle: transfers versus shop payments

Venmo allows money transfers to eligible PayPal users. However, Venmo users must be physically located in the United States. You cannot use the Venmo app to pay street vendors or restaurants in Chongqing. For local purchases, use an eligible US PayPal account or link a bank card to a Chinese payment app. Venmo debit or credit cards function as separate bank cards with their own foreign transaction rules.

Both the sender and receiver must hold US bank accounts. Zelle is great for splitting costs with friends back home, but it cannot scan local Chinese QR codes. To pay a shop in Chongqing, use a supported Chinese wallet or an eligible international card.

BLIK: tap-to-pay travels abroad

Poland's BLIK service offers international contactless payments through Mastercard. Enable this feature in your Polish banking app on an Android phone or a supported HarmonyOS phone before leaving home. You can then tap your smartphone at checkout terminals that accept Mastercard contactless.

BLIK contactless requires a working near-field communication (NFC) card reader. NFC lets your phone talk to the payment terminal when tapped. Standard six-digit BLIK codes only work at checkouts that specifically support BLIK. When you see a printed merchant QR sign at a noodle stall, use a supported Chinese wallet instead. For more tips on tapping your phone at card terminals, see our Apple Pay and Google Pay guide.

iDEAL, MB WAY, and Pix: matching the right checkout

Dutch travelers can use iDEAL when booking China hotels or train tickets on international travel sites. The booking platform must display iDEAL on its checkout page. You cannot use iDEAL to scan QR codes at local restaurants or shops in Chongqing.

Portugal's MB WAY works for online reservations whenever the MB WAY logo appears at checkout. For daily shopping on the street, add your Portuguese Visa or Mastercard to Alipay or WeChat Pay instead.

Brazil's Pix operates on its own domestic network and QR standard. Some global travel platforms accept Pix via partner gateways. Pix only works when the merchant specifically offers a Pix checkout. Street vendors in Chongqing use Chinese payment networks instead.

Brazilian travelers with a Wise account can use Wise's direct Alipay QR feature in China. Read our Wise and Revolut guide to learn how that direct Alipay payment works.

Wero, Bizum Pay, Satispay and BANCOMAT Pay

Wero: Travelers from France, Germany, and Belgium can use Wero to pay participating European merchants in euros. You can choose Wero at online booking checkouts that list it. To pay at local stores in Chongqing, use a supported Chinese wallet or tap an international debit or credit card at card readers.

Bizum Pay: Spanish travelers can use cards linked through Bizum Pay for contactless payments abroad. Choose your linked card in the app and tap your phone at compatible contactless terminals. The store terminal must accept contactless payments and your card's payment network. Person-to-person Bizum transfers support participating accounts in Spain and Andorra, plus compatible payment services in Portugal and Italy. To scan shop QR codes on the street, link your card to a Chinese payment app.

Satispay: Satispay QR payments only function at shops that partner directly with Satispay. The Satispay Mastercard debit card offers a separate way to spend. Cardholders can swipe or tap the physical card where Mastercard is accepted, or add it to Apple Pay or Google Pay. Card features depend on your residency and account tier. To scan street QR codes, link the card to Alipay or WeChat Pay.

BANCOMAT Pay: BANCOMAT Pay covers payments at partner merchants and online checkouts that display BANCOMAT Pay. International debit cards issued by Italian banks operate on global networks like Visa or Mastercard. Look for those network logos on your card, and pay at physical terminals that accept them. The BANCOMAT app itself cannot scan Chinese merchant QR codes.

Our Apple Pay and Google Pay guide explains how mobile wallets work at card readers. Remember to check your bank's foreign currency fees before travelling.

Building a reliable spending plan

Setting up your payment tools before you fly saves time and prevents payment snags. For most international visitors, linking a foreign Visa or Mastercard to Alipay (支付宝; Zhifubao) or WeChat Pay (微信支付) is the smoothest solution. Our complete Chongqing payments guide walks you through step-by-step card verification and QR scanning.

With your digital wallet ready, you can buy a hot bowl of Chongqing noodles (重庆小面) at a neighbourhood stall or shop in busy pedestrian malls. Always keep a physical bank card handy for major hotels, and carry a small amount of cash in Chinese yuan notes as a backup for places without card machines.