How people pay in China in 2026
China is the world's most mobile-first payment market. At the end of 2025, CNNIC counted 1.017 billion online payment users, 90.3% of internet users, and online retail sales reached RMB 15.97 trillion over the year. Most of that spending flows through two super-apps, Alipay and WeChat Pay, whose combined share of third-party payments has stayed above 90% for years. In the third quarter of 2025 alone, non-bank payment institutions processed 338.0 billion online payments worth RMB 85.28 trillion, according to the People's Bank of China (PBoC).
Underneath the wallets sit more than 10 billion bank cards, almost all on the domestic UnionPay network, and a bank clearing system that settles card, account and wallet payments in real time. The state-backed e-CNY digital yuan is growing in public services and transport, cash remains legal tender that merchants may not refuse, and credit wallets such as Huabei and JD BaiTiao serve as China's version of BNPL. Since 2024, authorities have also opened the market to foreign visitors, who can now link Visa or Mastercard cards to Alipay and WeChat Pay. For PSPs and merchants, a checkout without Alipay and WeChat Pay is not a Chinese checkout.
- 1.017 billion online payment users in December 2025 (CNNIC)
- 338.0 billion non-bank online payments in Q3 2025 (People's Bank of China)
- 10.15 billion bank cards in issue at the end of September 2025 (People's Bank of China)
- 3.48 billion cumulative e-CNY transactions by November 2025 (PBoC via Xinhua)
Payment by card in China
China UnionPay is the backbone of card payments. The PBoC counted 10.15 billion bank cards at the end of September 2025, of which 9.44 billion were debit cards and 707 million were credit or combined credit-debit cards. Cardholders made 103.6 billion card purchases worth RMB 33.19 trillion in the third quarter of 2025. Most of these purchases no longer happen with the plastic: Chinese consumers link their debit cards to Alipay, WeChat Pay or the UnionPay app and pay by QR code, so the card acts as a funding source behind the wallet.
International schemes are slowly entering the domestic market. A Mastercard joint venture with NetsUnion received a bank card clearing license in November 2023, and Visa won preparatory approval for a domestic clearing business in October 2026. For foreign cardholders, a 2024 State Council plan asks key merchants to improve bank card acceptance for visitors in hotels, transport and shopping areas. Acquirers that understand how card networks work and local interchange fees have an edge in this two-tier market.
Card schemes in China
UnionPay
Domestic card scheme
China's national card scheme and the network behind almost every card issued by Chinese banks, used at POS terminals, online and as the funding rail behind QR wallets.
100.0 billion UnionPay interbank transactions in Q3 2025, People's Bank of China
Debit cards
Debit card
Bank debit cards are the default funding source for Chinese consumers, mostly linked to Alipay, WeChat Pay and bank apps rather than tapped at the till.
9.44 billion debit cards in issue at the end of September 2025, People's Bank of China
Credit cards
Credit card
Bank-issued UnionPay credit cards, often dual-branded with Visa or Mastercard for travel, used for larger purchases and bank installment plans.
707 million credit and combined credit-debit cards at the end of September 2025, People's Bank of China
Mastercard
International scheme
The first international scheme with a domestic license, through Mastercard NUCC, its joint venture with NetsUnion, which allows member banks to issue and accept renminbi Mastercard cards in China.
Foreign cards for visitors
International cards
Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Diners and Amex cards issued abroad are accepted at hotels, airports and large merchants, and can be withdrawn at many ATMs or linked to Alipay and WeChat Pay.
54% year-on-year growth in international card payments in China as of May 2026, UnionPay
Payment by cash in China
Cash has become a minority payment method in China, yet the renminbi in circulation keeps growing. PBoC data show RMB 13.74 trillion of currency in circulation (M0) at the end of November 2025. Cash is still used by older people, in rural areas and by visitors without a local wallet, and the PBoC treats it as a backstop. The 2024 State Council plan on payment services requires large venues such as business districts, tourist sites and hotels to accept mobile payment, bank cards and cash.
Refusing cash is illegal. The PBoC regularly fines businesses that turn cash away: in 2020 it fined 16 organizations, with penalties up to RMB 500,000, and in May 2024 it penalized seven more, including a KFC franchise. Online, cash plays a marginal role through cash on delivery, which some e-commerce platforms still offer. For travelers, cash access improved after the 2024 measures: Beijing alone had 11,400 ATMs accepting foreign cards by July 2025. Our article on the transition from cash to digital payments puts China's shift in context.
Cash payment methods in China
Cash
Banknotes and coins
Renminbi banknotes and coins are legal tender, and merchants that refuse them face PBoC fines, even if most urban consumers rarely carry cash.
RMB 13.74 trillion currency in circulation (M0) at the end of November 2025, People's Bank of China
Cash on delivery
Cash on delivery
Paying the courier on delivery (huodao fukuan) remains an option on some e-commerce platforms, mainly for older or unbanked shoppers, but it is fading as wallets take over.
ATM withdrawals with foreign cards
ATM cash access
Visitors can withdraw renminbi with foreign cards at a growing number of bank ATMs, part of the 2024 drive to improve payment services for inbound travelers.
11,400 ATMs in Beijing supporting foreign card withdrawals at the end of July 2025, Beijing Municipal Government
Payment by bank transfer in China
China's bank rails are fast and heavily used, but consumers rarely see them directly. The PBoC's Internet Banking Payment System (IBPS), launched as a real-time interbank system for online banking, processed 4.28 billion transactions worth RMB 68.81 trillion in Q3 2025. Banks' own mobile channels handled 60.6 billion payments worth RMB 137.53 trillion in the same quarter. Wallet top-ups and withdrawals run through NetsUnion, the clearing house for non-bank payments, which processed 319.7 billion transactions in Q3 2025.
For merchants, bank payments show up in three ways. Online banking redirects (wangyin) still serve B2B and high-value purchases. Mobile banking apps let users pay by QR code and send instant payments between accounts. Direct debits and payroll run on the small-value batch system, while the high-value system settles corporate and interbank flows. Most consumer account-to-account payments in China are in fact wrapped inside Alipay, WeChat Pay or the UnionPay app.
Bank transfer methods in China
Online banking (IBPS)
Bank redirect
Shoppers are redirected to their bank's online banking to approve a payment, cleared in real time by the PBoC's Internet Banking Payment System; common for B2B, travel and high-value purchases.
4.28 billion IBPS transactions worth RMB 68.81 trillion in Q3 2025, People's Bank of China
Mobile banking
Bank app payment
Banking apps from ICBC, China Construction Bank, China Merchants Bank and others offer transfers, QR payments and bill payments, often interoperable with UnionPay QR codes.
60.6 billion bank mobile payments worth RMB 137.53 trillion in Q3 2025, People's Bank of China
Direct debit (BEPS)
Batch payment
The small-value batch payment system carries direct debits, utility collections and payroll, the basis for recurring account-based collections.
1.30 billion small-value batch transactions in Q3 2025, People's Bank of China
High-value transfers (HVPS)
Wire transfer
The PBoC's real-time gross settlement system for large corporate and interbank payments, used for B2B invoices and settlements.
RMB 2,502 trillion settled through the high-value system in Q3 2025, People's Bank of China
Payment by installment and BNPL in China
China built its own form of buy now, pay later inside super-apps. Huabei, the credit line in Alipay run by Chongqing Ant Consumer Finance, JD BaiTiao on JD.com, Meituan Yuefu, Douyin Yuefu and WeChat Pay Fenfu all let users pay at the end of the month or split purchases into installments. They are licensed consumer credit products, and their scale is large: Ant Consumer Finance reported revenue of about RMB 15.2 billion in 2024. Banks compete with credit card installment plans, backed by 707 million credit and combined cards.
Regulation changed the checkout in 2026. Under the Measures for the Administration of Online Marketing of Financial Products, effective September 30, 2026, non-bank payment institutions may not list loan products as payment options, and credit products must be shown separately from bank cards and balances at checkout. Huabei, BaiTiao and the Yuefu products remain available, but merchants and PSPs should expect them in a distinct credit section rather than as default payment buttons.
Installment and BNPL providers in China
Huabei
Wallet credit line
Alipay's pay-later and installment credit line, provided by Chongqing Ant Consumer Finance and accepted wherever Alipay is, online and in stores.
RMB 15.2 billion revenue of Ant Consumer Finance in 2024, 36Kr
JD BaiTiao
Marketplace credit
JD's buy-now-pay-later and installment service, offered at checkout on JD.com and, through JD Pay, at partner merchants.
Credit card installments
Card installments
Chinese banks let cardholders convert purchases into monthly installments for a fee, a common option for electronics, travel and big-ticket items.
707 million credit and combined credit-debit cards at the end of September 2025, People's Bank of China
Meituan Yuefu
Monthly pay
Meituan's monthly payment credit for food delivery, travel and local services, cited by regulators alongside Huabei and BaiTiao in the 2026 checkout separation rules.
Douyin Yuefu
Monthly pay
ByteDance's monthly pay credit used for purchases in Douyin's live-shopping and e-commerce flows.
WeChat Pay Fenfu
Wallet credit line
Tencent's pay-later credit line inside WeChat Pay, shown in the credit section of the WeChat Pay checkout.
Payment by digital wallet and X-Pay in China
Wallets are how China pays. Alipay serves more than 1 billion consumers and 80 million merchants, and WeChat Pay lives inside Weixin and WeChat, which had 1.439 billion monthly active users in June 2026. Both started with QR codes and now push NFC: Alipay Tap reached 200 million users in September 2025. Douyin Pay, which renewed its payment license in 2025, and JD Pay compete at the margin, while UnionPay's app, the e-CNY and X-Pay phone wallets such as Apple Pay and Huawei Pay round out the market.
Wallets now welcome foreigners. Visitors can link foreign cards to Alipay and WeChat Pay, and Tencent offers a 90-day fee waiver for new international cards in 2026. Through Alipay+, more than 10 million inbound travelers paid in China in 2025, and over 30 foreign e-wallets work at Chinese merchants. The e-CNY moved to an interest-bearing deposit model on January 1, 2026. Our article on QR code payments in Asia explains how China set the model.
Digital wallets and X-Pay in China
Alipay
Super-app wallet
Ant Group's wallet for QR, NFC and online payments, credit, wealth management and mini-programs; foreign visitors can link Visa or Mastercard cards directly.
1 billion+ consumers and 80 million merchants in September 2025, Ant Group
WeChat Pay
Super-app wallet
Tencent's wallet inside Weixin, used for QR payments, mini-programs, red packets and transfers, and open to foreign cards and more than 40 partner wallets.
1.439 billion Weixin and WeChat monthly active users at June 30, 2026, Tencent
UnionPay app (Yunshanfu)
Bank-backed wallet
The interbank mobile payment app built by Chinese banks and UnionPay, used for QR payments, transit and public services, with QuickPass contactless on cards and phones.
500 million+ registered users in 2023, UnionPay International
e-CNY
Central bank digital currency
The PBoC's digital renminbi, held in wallets at operating banks and in the official e-CNY app; since January 2026 bank wallet balances count as interest-bearing deposits.
3.48 billion cumulative transactions worth RMB 16.7 trillion by November 2025, PBoC via Xinhua
Douyin Pay
Platform wallet
ByteDance's payment service, built on the license of Wuhan Hezhong Yibao, used in Douyin e-commerce and expanding to offline merchants.
Apple Pay
Mobile wallet
Available in mainland China with UnionPay, Visa and Mastercard cards from about 125 institutions; since January 2026, Visa cards from Chinese banks also work abroad.
Huawei Pay
Mobile wallet
Huawei's NFC wallet for UnionPay QuickPass cards and transit cards, popular on Huawei phones.
134 domestic banks supported, Huawei
Payments in China: FAQ
What is the most popular payment method in China?
Mobile wallets. Alipay and WeChat Pay together hold more than 90% of third-party payments, and CNNIC counted 1.017 billion online payment users at the end of 2025. Most of these payments are funded by UnionPay debit cards linked to the wallets.
Can foreigners use Alipay and WeChat Pay in China?
Yes. Visitors can link Visa, Mastercard and other foreign cards to both apps, or pay with partner e-wallets from home. Ant Group says more than 10 million inbound travelers used its solutions in 2025. Alipay charges a 3% fee on foreign card payments above RMB 200, according to a 2026 travel guide.
Do merchants in China have to accept cash?
Yes. The renminbi is legal tender and the PBoC fines businesses that refuse it, including seven businesses penalized in May 2024. The 2024 State Council plan requires large venues to accept mobile payment, bank cards and cash.
Is there BNPL in China?
Yes, as credit lines inside super-apps: Huabei in Alipay, JD BaiTiao, Meituan Yuefu, Douyin Yuefu and WeChat Pay Fenfu, plus bank credit card installments. Since September 30, 2026, credit products must be separated from payment options at wallet checkouts.
Accept local payments in China with NORBr
In mainland China, China UMS and Lakala lead in-store acquiring, and foreign sellers often use Antom for Alipay and WeChat Pay. A PSP, PayFac, ISO or ISV should check the People's Bank of China license, cross-border settlement and data localization.
With NORBr, you can connect any acquirer, PSP or local provider that offers Alipay, WeChat Pay, UnionPay cards and QuickPass, and consumer credit such as Huabei. Some are already in our connector catalog; Mapper™ gets the others live in days, and Smart Checkout shows each shopper the right methods. Explore the other #PayWorldTour guides.
Local payment providers in China
China UMS
Acquirer
UnionPay's merchant services subsidiary and one of China's largest acquirers, providing POS terminals, QR acceptance and online payments to merchants across the country.
Covers: UnionPay cards, UnionPay QuickPass, Alipay, WeChat Pay, e-CNY
Lakala
Acquirer
Beijing-founded, Shenzhen-listed payment institution focused on merchant acquiring for small and medium-sized businesses, with POS terminals and aggregated QR code acceptance.
Covers: UnionPay cards, UnionPay QuickPass, Alipay, WeChat Pay
LianLian
PSP
Hangzhou-based payment group offering domestic payment processing and, through LianLian Global, cross-border collection and payout services for Chinese exporters and online sellers.
Covers: UnionPay cards, Bank transfer, Alipay, WeChat Pay
99Bill
PSP
Shanghai-based licensed third-party payment company offering online and offline payment processing to Chinese merchants, with a focus on online banking and card payments.
Covers: UnionPay cards, Online banking
Antom
PSP
Ant International's merchant payment brand, used by foreign and cross-border merchants to accept Alipay from Chinese shoppers alongside cards and other Alipay+ wallets.
Covers: Alipay, Cards
