Living in or visiting China, you’ll find that Alipay is an essential app, as it is a popular method for paying for things. Here is a guide on how to pay with Alipay and some of its other handy features.

Step 1: Download the app

The Alipay app is available on iOS and Android, with an English version. 

Step 2: Register for an Alipay account using your phone number  

Note: You can use a foreign number for registration before you arrive in China and change the registered number after purchasing a Chinese SIM card. 

Step 3: Link your bank card

You can link a foreign bank card to your Alipay account. 

At the lower right corner, tap “Me” then “Bank card” and follow the prompts to add your card. You need to input the card number and the 4-digit security code on the back of the card. 

The cards are displayed in your wallet with the last 4 digits and you can set a payment order preference. 

How to pay with Alipay 

When you pay with the app, you can either scan the vendor’s QR code or they scan your payment code. The most common method is for you to scan the merchant’s code. 

When you make a payment, Alipay will give you the option of “balance” or your linked cards. Balance is a function used when you’ve added funds to the Alipay wallet.

Other features of Alipay

You can access many mini apps inside the Alipay app. They can be helpful if you don’t want to download new apps on your phone. 

DiDi car-hailing 

DiDi is the Chinese version of Uber. The service is in English if you use the English version of Alipay. Using DiDi is simple. By typing in the starting point and destination, the app will give you a list of services available, such as discount, taxi or express. You can choose the car type according to your budget. 

Public transport

You can use virtual metro and bus cards in Alipay, which allows you to pay for public transport in China using your phone. Virtual cards are different across cities. You can activate the Shanghai Bus/Metro Card to get a QR code to take the bus or metro. 

In addition, you can also book train tickets and flights or find shared bicycles in “Transport” services.

Food delivery

You can also order food delivery to your location using Alipay. Find the “Takeout” icon on the home screen under a blue letter “e”, which marks the logo of “Eleme”, a major food delivery platform. 

Utilities 

Another useful function of Alipay is paying utility bills. It saves you the trouble of going to the bank in person. 

In addition to the functions above, Alipay also allows to top up your mobile phone, buy movie tickets, or even buy a pet insurance. There are many more functions for you to explore, just open the Alipay app!