Does AlipayHK work in China?

Planning to use your AlipayHK in mainland China? You're not alone in wondering how seamless it truly is.

This article is your quick guide to everything you need to know before using AlipayHK in China. By the end, you’ll understand where AlipayHK is accepted in mainland China, what steps you may need to take before using it, and any important verification requirements or limitations to keep in mind.

You may also want to consider Wise, a transparent, fully digital solution, for sending CNY out of China while living in mainland China as an expat.

Does AlipayHK work in China?

Yes, you can pay with AlipayHK at many stores in mainland China, but it’s not an automatic “yes” everywhere you go.

Living in China, you might have already been way too familiar with the super-app Alipay. There is a localized version for the Hong Kong market, which is AlipayHK. For AlipayHK users, whenever you are in China, simply look for the “Alipay” or “Alipay+” logo to know whether AlipayHK is accepted¹.

AlipayHK is a convenient choice if you constantly move between Hong Kong and mainland China. Let’s take Shenzhen as an example. Although Hong Kong and Shenzhen are only a short train ride apart, the two regions follow entirely different regulatory frameworks for financial services. This means that many Hong Kong digital wallets simply don’t work at all in mainland China. That’s why the seamless integration between Alipay and AlipayHK stands out, making cross‑border payments easier.

When you travel between Hong Kong and China, you can also activate the* Cross-Border Transport Code *of AlipayHK to pay for public transportation fares in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Foshan, Zhongshan, Dongguan, and Shanghai².

The best thing is that you can download and register for AlipayHK with your Chinese phone number. To use AlipayHK in China, simply show your QR code to the cashier or scan the merchant’s QR code.

Limitations of using AlipayHK in China

Still, while AlipayHK and mainland Alipay are part of the same ecosystem, they actually are very distinct apps. You will find both Alipay and AlipayHK in your app store. This means that the integration won’t always be 1:1, and sometimes you won’t be able to pay with AlipayHK!

However, sometimes you might not be able to use AlipayHK in China even when you see that the store displays an 'Alipay’ sign. This is because many local and small vendors use their personal Alipay accounts to receive payment. And at the time of writing, AlipayHK doesn’t support personal transfers to Alipay China accounts³.

You can still use certain cross-border features such as Cross-border Lucky Money or remittance to transfer funds to a personal Alipay account in mainland China. However, these features also come with important limitations:

• Cross-border Lucky Money has strict per-transaction limits: you can only send between 50 CNY and 520 CNY each time.
• AlipayHK remittance to a personal mainland Alipay account is restricted to specific purposes, such as sending your own salary to support yourself and family, paying wages, or making online purchases. Alipay may also require the recipient to provide proof of the transaction, depending on the purpose and amount⁴.

In addition, both Cross-border Lucky Money and AlipayHK Remittance are subject to daily and annual transfer limits of up to 7,999 HKD per day and 300,000 HKD per year.

Once you exceed these caps, you won’t be able to send any more funds to a personal Alipay account in mainland China until the limit resets.

If you are looking for online shopping experience, please be aware that AlipayHK is only available to popular platforms such as Taobao, Pinduoduo, JD.com, HKTVmall, Mannings, PARKnSHOP, UNIQLO, Ztore, App Store, Google Play, and TikTok⁵.

Essential Requirements: Verification & Limits

Verification might just be the most crucial step you need to do before using AlipayHK in China. This is due to strict KYC regulations, anti-fraud requirements, and cross-border financial compliance rules in both Hong Kong and mainland China. Verification here means performing an ID and facial live screening.

There are two ways you can verify your AlipayHK account to use in China, depending on which type of document you have.

For those who have HKID:

1. Log in to your AlipayHK account
2. Click on top left menu bar, select “Identity Verification”,
3. Take a photo of your HKID and complete the selfie verification
4. Provide your personal information including residential address, occupation, and source of income

For those who don’t have HKID:

1. Log in to your AlipayHK account
2. Click on top left menu bar, select “Bank account/Credit Card”
3. Select “Credit Card”
4. Fill in your credit card information and perform a 3DS authentication

As of the time of writing, you cannot bind Chinese-issued credit cards to an AlipayHK account.

It is also worth noting that there are daily and yearly spending limits for AlipayHK in mainland China depending on your money sources and your account type as below:

Fees for using AlipayHK in China

When using AlipayHK in mainland China, the payment is processed through the Alipay+ network, which states it does not charge extra fees. The transaction uses the daily Alipay+ foreign exchange rate for the HKD to CNY conversion. However, AlipayHK may apply its own handling fees⁶:

FAQs

Can I use AlipayHK to send money to mainland China?

You can use AlipayHK to send money to mainland China via remittance and cross-border lucky money. However, there will be certain requirements and limitations coming along with sending money to mainland China with AlipayHK.

What's the difference between AlipayHK and mainland Alipay?

AlipayHK and mainland Alipay belong to the same overall ecosystem, but they are two very different apps designed for different groups of users. Mainland Alipay is mainly aimed at mainland Chinese users and international visitors in China, so it operates primarily in RMB. AlipayHK, on the other hand, is built for everyday payments in HKD.

It is true that the AlipayHK version is still a good option if you constantly move between mainland China and Hong Kong, or paying for daily expenses in Hong Kong. But be aware that because of the different operating currencies, currency conversion will occur whenever you use one app to pay or transfer within the other’s environment.

So for everyday payments in China, you should download the Alipay mainland version or WeChat Pay (Weixin Pay) instead.

Which is better for payments in China: Alipay or WeChat Pay?

Both Alipay and WeChat Pay are pretty strong options when it comes to paying for daily expenditure in China.

If you already use WeChat, WeChat Pay can be a convenient option. But if you love managing your finances in one place – or you’re a big Taobao fan – then Alipay is a great fit! Or you can simply use both Alipay and WeChat Pay in China!

AlipayHK can be your payment partner in mainland China, offering wide acceptance for local spending. However, due to regulatory limits on outward fund movement, its utility for the expat's most critical financial task, remitting salary, is non-existent.

To efficiently and compliantly manage your hard-earned local currency, sending CNY out of China requires a dedicated solution. Wise offers a transparent, cost-effective, and fully online platform to move your CNY income to your bank accounts worldwide at the real mid-market exchange rate, so you can send without visiting a bank branch.

Manage your cross‑border transfers with Wise. Open a Wise account today to begin transferring your CNY salary out of China with confidence.

Learn more about Wise

Please also be informed that Wise in China is operating under a local partner’s license.