Set up Alipay and WeChat Pay with a foreign card before you fly, know the 3% fee over 200 yuan, and install Amap, DiDi, 12306 and an eSIM. A checklist for skiers, checked October 2026.
Mobile wallets are how China pays. At a resort that covers lift tickets bought through mini-programs, rental counters, canteens and the taxi back to the station. International hotels take foreign cards, but small guesthouses and cafés often do not, so a working wallet saves a lot of trouble.
Since 2023 both apps let foreign users link international cards such as Visa and Mastercard. In March 2024 the central bank told the two operators to raise foreigners' single-payment limit from US$1,000 to US$5,000 and the annual limit from US$10,000 to US$50,000. Later figures quoted online conflict, so check the current limit in the app.
Fees: the Beijing government's March 2026 guide says WeChat Pay charges 3% on foreign-card payments over 200 yuan, and payments of 200 yuan or less are free. New users who link a card get the fee waived for 60 days on payments under 1,000 yuan. Travel guides report the same 3%-over-200 rule for Alipay, though we did not find an official Alipay statement. Your own bank may add a foreign-exchange fee on top.
Set both up at home. Real-name verification with your passport is usually quick but can take a day or more, and you need your home phone number to receive codes. Foreign cards cannot send red packets or transfer money to other people.
Rules against refusing cash took effect on 1 February 2026, and a growing share of ATMs accept foreign cards. Carry some yuan for small purchases and as a backup.
On Chinese Wi-Fi or a Chinese SIM, Google, WhatsApp, Instagram and YouTube are blocked. Roaming on your home network, and most travel eSIMs, route data outside China and usually reach them, though not every eSIM does; check your provider. Install the eSIM before you leave, because several providers say the profile cannot be downloaded once you are inside mainland China. VPNs are a grey area and often unreliable, so roaming or an eSIM is the simpler route. A local SIM needs your passport and real-name registration.
Install these before you go:
On 12306 you register with your passport and verify it online or at a station window. Your passport is your ticket at the gates. If you bring skis on the Beijing to Chongli line, book the snow-gear service in 12306; it cost 68 yuan per set in 2025-26.
File the arrival card online in advance through the National Immigration Administration's website, app or the WeChat and Alipay mini-programs, which has been possible since 20 November 2025. Our China travel essentials page has the full checklist, and our beginner's guide covers the rest of the trip.