You can send money from your Wise account to an individual's Alipay account in Chinese Yuan (CNY), also known as RMB.
In this article, you'll learn:
Important things to know before sending CNY via Alipay
Recipient Name: You must enter the recipient's full name in Pinyin (Latin characters) and include a space between their first and last name. It should match the name on their Chinese National ID.
Recipient Eligibility: Your recipient must be a Mainland Chinese citizen (using their Chinese National ID) or a Hong Kong/Macao resident (using a Mainland China travel permit). They must also be at least 18 years old.
Alipay ID: An Alipay ID can be a phone number or an email address. We support phone numbers from all over the world.
How to send money to an Alipay user
Log in to your Wise account and set up a transfer to CNY
Choose Alipay under the recipient's bank details
Enter your recipient's name and their Alipay ID
Check all the details are correct and confirm your payment
How does my recipient get the money?
The money will be sent to your recipient's bank card that’s linked to their Alipay account. It won’t be added to their Alipay wallet balance.
Your recipient must have a bank card linked to their Alipay account to receive the money.
Here’s the process for your recipient:
Once you send the transfer, your recipient will get an SMS or an in-app notification from Alipay.
Tip: If they don't see a notification, ask them to open their Alipay app and check for any pending transfers.
Your recipient must open the Alipay notification and follow the prompts to link their bank card.
They must complete this step within 72 hours. If they don’t link their card within this timeframe, the transfer will be automatically cancelled, and we'll refund the money to your Wise account.
Once their bank card is successfully linked, the transfer will be completed, and the money will arrive on their bank card.
How much can I send?
The limit for each transfer is 50,000 CNY.
| Transfer purpose | Single amount limit | Max monthly frequency limit for recipient* | Max yearly frequency limit for recipient* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Money to family** | 50,000 CNY | 15 | 800,000 CNY |
| Salary payment** | 50,000 CNY | 15 | 800,000 CNY |
| Savings | 50,000 CNY | 15 | 600,000 CNY |
| Goods | 50,000 CNY | No limit | 600,000 CNY |
| Services | 50,000 CNY | No limit | 300,000 CNY |
*The yearly and monthly limits include all payments the recipient gets from all services, not just Wise.
**The maximum number of transfers includes both payments made to the recipient's Alipay Balance, and their bank card linked to Alipay.
Sending limits and transfer purpose for Business senders
If you're sending from a Wise Business account, you can only select Salary or Services. The limits are the same as for personal senders.
You must provide a valid business registration number to send as a business.
What countries and regions can I send from?
Personal senders can send to Alipay from all supported countries except:
China
Cuba
Iran
Nigeria
North Korea
Syria
Ukraine regions: Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk
Business senders can send to Alipay from the following countries: Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States.
Common questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How can my recipient check the transfer status? | Once the transfer is sent, the recipient gets an SMS and a push notification with all transfer details.For more information, view this step-by-step guide in English and Mandarin. |
| I gave the wrong recipient name or Alipay ID. What should I do? | When you set up the transfer, Wise checks the recipient's name and Alipay ID. If the details don't match, you'll see an error message and won't be able to proceed. Double-check the details with your recipient. |
| Why was my transfer cancelled? | A transfer to Alipay is usually cancelled because: Your recipient didn't complete the required steps (like linking their bank card) within 72 hours; Your recipient isn't eligible (they aren't a Mainland Chinese citizen or a HK/Macao resident, or they aren't over 18); The recipient's name you entered didn't match the name on their Chinese National ID. |
| My recipient didn't get the transfer notification or SMS link | Ask your recipient to contact the Alipay customer service via the App. |
| My recipient didn't get the money. What can I do? | First, ask your recipient to check their bank card statement, not their Alipay wallet balance. The money is sent directly to their linked bank card. If it's still not there, it's likely pending. This is usually because Alipay is waiting for the recipient to complete an action in their app, such as linking their bank card or providing documents for verification (like a payslip if you sent for ‘Salary’). Ask your recipient to open their Alipay app and check for any pending tasks or notifications. |
| My transfer failed. How can I find out why? | If your transfer fails, please check the details with your recipient. If they're unsure, they may need to contact Alipay customer support through the Alipay app for more information. |
| Why can my recipient only get 15 payments per month? | This is a limit set by Alipay and our partners for all incoming international payments, not just those from Wise. |
| Can I cancel my transfer? | You can't cancel a transfer to Alipay once it has been sent. If your recipient doesn't link their bank card within 72 hours, the transfer will be automatically cancelled, and we'll refund the money to you. |