Diário · Jul 25, 2026

Surviving a Cashless Country

Diário China cashlessChina mobile paymentsusing Alipay in ChinaChina cash
Surviving a Cashless Country
From street noodles to metro tickets, everything is a QR code. Here is how to thrive without cash in China.

China has leapfrogged cash to a degree that surprises most first-time visitors. Even the smallest street stall will show you a QR code, and vendors may look genuinely confused if you proffer a banknote.

The good news for travelers is that the two big payment apps — Alipay and WeChat Pay — now accept international cards. Set them up before you leave, link a card, and you will be able to pay almost anywhere by scanning a code. Keep some cash as a backup, but expect to use it rarely.

The one thing to remember: a dead phone is a real problem in a cashless country. Carry a battery pack, and keep your payment app accessible offline where possible.