Can You Use Wise in China? Guide for Australians

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China is a huge, diverse and fascinating country - and appeals to Australians looking for an exciting place to travel, study, live or work. If you’ve got a trip coming up - or if you’re relocating there soon, you might be wondering how to use your Wise card in China to spend CNY conveniently and with the mid-market rate.

So - does Wise work in China for in store card payments, and can you use Wise in China on Alipay or WeChat Pay to scan and spend like a local? Read on as we cover all you need to know.

Can I use Wise in China?

Wise offers a broad range of services - and the exact service availability for China may depend on what Wise product you want to use. Assuming you have an Australian Wise account and card, you can use your account when you travel to China, to pay by card, to convert AUD to Chinese yuan (CNY) for spending, or to send payments to others in currencies including CNY.

Wise uses the mid-market rate for currency conversion which means there are no surprise fees when you spend or send overseas, and all the costs you pay are broken out for transparency.

Some restrictions apply on CNY payments, depending on factors like whether or not the recipient has a Mainland China ID card. Full details are available online, in the Wise guide to CNY transfers.

Can I use the Wise card in China?

Yes. Both the Wise physical and digital cards are accepted in China anywhere the payment network (Visa or Mastercard) is supported. You can use your Wise card to spend by tapping to pay in stores, restaurants and hotels which accept international card payments. This is more common in international retailers and hotel chains, and where tourists visit frequently.

To spend like a local you can also link Wise to a popular ewallet like Alipay or WeChat Pay, which are a more popular payment method utilised in China, often used by smaller retailers and merchants in China. More on that next.

How to use Wise in China

Can you use a Wise card in China for day to day payments? And is the Wise card accepted in China at ATMs?

You can use your Wise card in China to tap and pay in physical stores, or to get cash from an ATM when you need to. However, the most popular payment methods in China are often ewallets like Alipay and WeChat Pay which let you scan a merchant QR code to pay.

It used to be the case that Chinese ewallets weren’t available for international visitors, but recently, both WeChat Pay and Alipay have started to offer services to foreigners. Let’s look at how you can use these apps with Wise.

How to link Wise card to Alipay?

Alipay offers the Alipay Plus¹ option to link an overseas card to your app and continue using the service to pay easily by scanning the merchant QR when shopping.

Alipay doesn’t add a specific fee to pay with a foreign card, but if currency exchange is needed, the exchange rate used is set by Alipay Plus and may include a markup - a fee. Compare the rate offered against the mid-market rate to check if any additional costs have crept in here - or use Wise to convert to CNY when you pay with the mid-market rate.

Here’s how to link your Wise card to Alipay for use in China:

1. Download the Alipay Plus app and register an account using your Australian phone number
2. Once registered, tap Add now
3. Follow the instructions on the screen to add your Australian Wise card

How to link Wise card to WeChat Pay?

WeChat Pay is another very commonly used ewallet in China. Here’s how to link your Wise card to WeChat Pay²:

1. Download the WeChat app and register an account using your Australian phone number
2. Once registered, tap Me, then Pay and Services, and finally Wallet
3. Enter your personal details as prompted
4. Go to Wallet, then tap Bank Cards and Add a Bank Card
5. Follow the instructions on the screen to add your Australian Wise card

Once you have your Wise card linked to WeChat Pay you can use the app as usual, to make payments when you’re in China. Bear in mind that for payments above 200 CNY, WeChat Pay adds a fee of 3%.

How to use Wise digital card in China

You can have up to three digital cards from Wise, and you can use your Wise digital cards in China for mobile payments and to link to apps like Alipay and WeChat Pay.

Digital cards have different card numbers compared to your physical Wise card, which can add extra security. If you’re concerned your card may have been skimmed or copied, you can simply destroy the digital card and generate a new one, without needing to cut up your physical card or wait for the delivery of a replacement. Plus if you’re new to the Wise card, you can use a digital card immediately on application for your physical Wise card, with no waiting for the mail.

How to order a Wise card?

You can order a Wise card in the Wise app once you’ve registered your account:

1. Log into Wise in the app and tap the Cards tab
2. Select the option to order a digital or physical card
3. You’ll be prompted to check your details, and may need to verify your identity
4. Pay the one time 10 AUD fee for your physical card while digital card are free
5. Your card will be delivered by mail to your registered address

➡️ Order a Wise card

Your card will be delivered in 7 to 14 days using the standard service, or you may choose to pay an extra fee to get your card in about 4 days using the expedited delivery option. Once you’ve submitted your order for your physical card you can also generate digital cards in the app and use these while you wait for your new physical card to arrive.

Before you can spend you’ll need to add money to your Wise balance which you can do in the app. For spending in China you can then either change your money to CNY in advance of travel, or leave your balance in AUD and let the card’s automatic conversion tools convert for you at the point of payment.

Summary: Using Wise in China

Wise is a good choice for travel spending as you can hold a balance in your preferred currency (including AUD and CNY), and spend conveniently when you arrive. Payment options include mobile payments through an app like WeChat Pay or AliPay, contactless and Chip and PIN payments with your physical card- plus you can use your card in an ATM if you’d like to have some local cash on hand, too.

Order your Wise card in the Wise app before you travel to China to make spending a breeze - and to unlock the mid-market rate for currency conversion while you’re there.

🚀 Get your Wise card

1. Alipay Plus in Mainland China
2. WeChat Pay Help - link international card