Payment Service Guide for Overseas Visitors to Guangdong

Welcome to Guangdong!

This Payment Service Guide, covering instructions on payment with overseas and domestic bankcards, cash, mobile payment, and e-CNY, is intended to provide you with a safe, convenient inclusive, and diverse payment experience.

Part 01

Pay with Overseas Bank Cards

Overseas bank cards are accepted where you can see logos of your card schemes such as Visa, Mastercard, and JCB. These logos are often seen in airports, hotels, shopping malls, restaurants, tourist attractions, and exhibition centers in Guangdong. If you have any doubts, ask the cashier for more information.

UnionPay cards are accepted at all merchants with POS terminals in Guangdong.

Tips:

Please make sure that your bank card is accepted in China's mainland, some cards require prior approval from the issuer.

Part 02

Pay with Cash

There are five ways to withdraw or exchange RMB cash.

1. Bank branches

Bank branches with "currency Exchange" signs shown can provide you with currency exchange money change, and exchange rate query services. A valid ID is often required.

2. Self-Service Machines (E.g. ATM, CRS, etc.)

You can withdraw RMB cash at ATM, CRS, and other self-service machines with logos of your card schemes. The upper limit of a single withdrawal is CNY 3,000 which is also subject to the limit of your bank cards.

3. Franchised Institutions for Foreign Currency Exchange

You can exchange currencies at counters of franchised institutions for foreign currency exchange where the "currency Exchange" signs are often shown. The daily limit is the equivalent of USD5,000, and the annual cumulative limit is the equivalent of USD 50,000. Such counters are usually located at airports and other ports of entry.

Tips:

You can find the locations of such exchanges and make online reservations on the WeChat or Alipay official accounts.

4. Foreign Currency Exchange Agencies

You can exchange currencies at foreign currency exchange agencies commonly found at hotels. The daily limit is the equivalent of CNY 10,000, and the annual cumulative limit is the equivalent of CNY 50,000.

5. Foreign Currency Exchange Machines

You can exchange currencies on a foreign currency exchange machine with your valid lD. The daily limit is the equivalent of CNY 5,000.

It is worth noting that the foreign currency exchange machines with e-CNY function can provide top-up service for e-CNY hard wallets.

Part 3

Mobile Payment

Mobile payment with UnionPay, Alipay, WeixinPay, and some overseas e-wallets are more than welcome.

1. UnionPay

1 Download and install UnionPay App

2 Register

3 Apply for a Tour card

4 Top up the Tour card

5 Ready for payment

2. Alipay

1 Download and install Alipay App

2 Register

3 Add a bank card

4 Ready for payment

3. Weixin Pay

1 Download and install the WeChat App

2 Register, and find Weixin Pay (Tap Me-Services-Wallet)

3 Fill in your identity information and add a bank card

4 Ready for payment

We provide you with a simplified registration process, which can skip the identity verification process. You can simply enter your card number expiry date, and security code to add your overseas card. Moreover, you can swiftly add your card through several access points, even during a transaction.

If you don't have enough time to provide full identity information, here is a simple and convenient way to use mobile payment: first-time users can use Weixin Pay within a certain amount without verification by adding an overseas card. Also, you can further submit verification details as needed, to increase your transaction limit and access the full service.

4. Pay with overseas e-wallets

1 Pay with UnionPay-powered overseas e-wallet

If you already have a UnionPay-powered overseas e-wallet, you can directly scan and pay at UnionPay standard QR code merchants, a local e-wallet app is not required. currently, 85 e-wallet apps in 17 Asian countries and regions including South Korea, Japan, and Thailand are UnionPay powered.

2 Pay with Alipay + wallet

Users of Alipay + e-wallet, such as Alipay HK, Kakao Pay, Touch 'n Go eWallet, OCBC, TrueMoney, MPay, Changi Pay, NAVER Pay, Toss Pay, Hipay can pay directly where the Alipay logo is shown.

Tips:

1 UnionPay, Alipay, and Weixin Pay all support bundling overseas mobile phone numbers. Just make sure that your mobile phone has activated international roaming.

2 The single payment limit for overseas personnel using mobile payment in China's mainland is USD5,000, and the annual cumulative limit is USD 50,000.

3 Please call the following hotlines if you have any questions or need further information.

Service Hotlines in English

UnionPay: +86-95516

Alipay: +86-571 2688 6000

Weixin Pay: +86-95017

Part 04

Account Service

You can open a bank card account at a local bank branch in Guangdong with a valid lD, such as a passport, Mainland Travel Permit and Residence Permit for Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR Residents, Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents, Foreign Permanent Resident ID card, and other identity documents stipulated by laws and administrative regulations. when you apply for a bank card in China, banks are required to conduct due diligence following internationally accepted practices, and your cooperation is required.

You can use domestic bank cards in the following scenarios according to bank card agreements of domestic banks: make card payments at all domestic merchants equipped with POS machines and cash withdrawals.

Part 05

Pay with e-CNY

You can pay with e-CNY, the digital legal tender of China. E-CNY is now widely used in retail, transportation, tourism, etc. You can use your overseas mobile phone number to register and open an e-CNY wallet, and top up with your Visa or Mastercard. Any wallet balance can be easily transferred back to the overseas bank card.

Tips for Hong Kong and Macao Visitors

1 Pay with e-wallet from Hong Kong and Macao

Users of UnionPay (HK and Macao), WeChat Pay HK, Alipay HK, MPay, or BOC Macau Mobile Banking can directly scan the QR code and pay at the corresponding merchant.

2 Attestation Service for Account Opening for Hong Kong and Macao Residents

Permanent residents of Hong Kong or Macao and over 18, who already have bank accounts with the Bank of China (Hong Kong), industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Asia), China Construction Bank (Asia), CMB Wing Lung Bank, Bank of East Asia in Hong Kong, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Macao), Bank of China Macao Branch China Construction Bank in Macao, can apply for Type ll and lll bank accounts of mainland banks at the above bank branches. Personal presence at a mainland bank counter can be waived. Once the account is successfully opened, you can activate and add your bank card to mainland mobile payment Apps to enjoy payment convenience.

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