Cash and a foreign card will not cover a normal day. Set up Alipay, and WeChat as the backup, before you fly.
Why the apps come up before the flight
National Geographic’s practical China guide, under “Do I have to use Chinese apps to pay for things?”, says almost everything is paid in WeChat or Alipay, and that Alipay is the better traveller app because it includes Didi.
National Geographic: a practical guide to travelling in China
A YouTube transcript fetched the same day (“28 Honest Tips for Visiting China”) names two apps to have ready: Alipay and WeChat. It says to get them up and running before you leave, and to link a card, because many local vendors have no card terminal. That is the creator’s account of the transcript, not a second official manual.
YouTube: 28 Honest Tips for Visiting China
The same kit shows up in a city guide
CNA Lifestyle’s first-timer Chongqing piece (2026-05-09) opens a “digital survival kit” that includes WeChat, Alipay, Amap, and Didi. The payments point is the same one Nat Geo and the transcript make: the phone apps are part of getting around, not an optional extra after you land.
CNA: a first-timer’s guide to Chongqing
What to do with that, without inventing a setup wizard
- Treat Alipay as the app those pages single out for travellers, with Didi inside it (Nat Geo).
- Still install WeChat. The transcript calls it the backup you want working before departure, and CNA lists it in the same kit.
- Link a card before you fly if you are following the transcript. Do not assume a shop can take the physical card.
Sample prices and exchange rates printed on the Nat Geo page were not re-checked on 2026-10-20, so they are not copied here.
Related notes
- eSIM and the Great Firewall — the phone has to reach those apps after you land.
- Chongqing for a first visit — the CNA kit in a city article.
- 30-day visa-free or 240-hour transit
