How to top up Alipay in China as a foreigner?

If you're trying to learn how to top up Alipay in China as a foreigner can be confusing because registering for an account, linking a card and adding money to your balance are separate processes. Although many international visitors and foreign residents can open and verify an Alipay account, balance top-ups are generally more restricted than direct card payments. This guide explains how Alipay top-ups work, which cards may be accepted, why transactions sometimes fail and what limits you should check.

When you need to send your own money from China to another country, Wise offers international money transfers with transparent fees and exchange rates shown before you confirm. Availability and transfer requirements depend on your location, currencies and verification status.

Learn more about Wise

Can foreigners in China use Alipay?

Yes, many foreigners in China can register for Alipay and complete identity checks, but account features can vary depending on your app version, verification status, and payment method. One thing worth knowing is that registration only gives you the account shell. To actually pay or top up, you still need to finish setup.

A simple registration path usually looks like this:^5,6

1. Download the mainland China version of the Alipay app or start from the official registration page.
2. Register with your phone number, or in some cases your email, and confirm the SMS code.
3. Set your login password and basic account details.
4. Complete identity verification using your passport or other accepted ID.
5. Add a payment method.
6. Open the app settings or payment area to check which features are active on your account.

If you're not sure which setup route to follow first, our guide on registering Alipay in China as a foreigner goes deeper into the account opening process.

How to top up Alipay in China: A step-by-step guide

For expats topping up your Chinese Alipay account balance is quite simple, here is an easy 6 step guide with screenshot illustrations to show you how to do it.

1. Simply open your Alipay app on your phone
2. Then click ”Me” at far bottom right corner
3. Choose “Balance”
4. Click “Top Up”
5. Select an already-linked card or “Add a new bank card to top up”(Only accepts mainland Chinese debit card)
6. Click “Scan” to instantly extract your card information and auto filling.

Does Alipay support international debit/credit bank cards when topping up balance?

Can I top up my Alipay account using international credit cards?

No. According to the Alipay personal account help center,³ it doesn’t support top up using any type of credit cards in general.⁴This includes international credit cards. Because the credit card top-up business itself carries a certain amount of cash-out risk, and anti-money laundering and secure cash withdrawal has always been the common mission and responsibility of all commercial banks and also with Alipay itself, according to Alipay.

Can I top up my Alipay account(mainland Chinese version) using international debit cards?

No. At the moment users can only use mainland Chinese debit cards to top up their Alipay account.

As shown in the screenshots (taken by our freelancer who also is an expat working in China). When you top up your Alipay, it will automatically notify you what kind of banks and cards they support.

Please note: If you check the full list of banks that Alipay supports as a payment method when topping up your balance, you can see below these foreign banks are available. But if you try them out, you will get the same alert again saying “Only Chinese mainland debit cards are applicable”.

• Shinhan Bank
• DBS Bank
• Standard Chartered Bank
• Bank of East Asia
• HSBC Bank (China)
• Citibank (China)
• KEB Hana Bank
• Mastercard
• Visa

These banks are in the “add bank card” list but are not applicable for topping up Alipay and your Alipay Balance.

It’s important to know that adding a bank card to Alipay is one thing and topping up your account balance is another. Currently, when adding or linking bank cards to Alipay, it supports linking international credit cards issued outside of the Chinese mainland, such as Visa, Master, Diners, and Discover, and these cards are limited to only certain Alipay services. But to top-up your account balance, the only bank cards Alipay supports currently are mainland Chinese debit cards.

It is also advised that foreigners in China constantly update their Alipay app to the newest version to avoid bugs, and update to the newest foreigner friendly features and policies.

Foreigners can often register for Alipay and link an international card for eligible merchant payments, but topping up an Alipay balance is more restrictive. In most cases, balance top-ups require an eligible mainland China debit card, even when a foreign card can be successfully added to the app.

If your aim is not topping up Alipay for spending, but moving your own money abroad, Wise is one option to look at. Whether you’re paying expenses in another country or sending money to family back home, you can use Alipay to pay for transfers of up to 50,000 CNY.

Unlike bank transfers, there are no minimum limits on what you can send and Alipay operates all day, every day. So you can send money at a time that suits you, not them.

How to pay with Alipay

1. Enter an amount: Select CNY as the currency you’re sending from, then enter how much and which currency you’re sending to — you can send up to 50,000 CNY per transfer.
2. Choose your recipient: This needs to be either your own account outside of China or your Wise balance.
3. Select Alipay as your payment method: If you’re on your phone, you’ll be automatically redirected to your Alipay app. If you’re using our website, you’ll be shown a QR code which you can scan from your Alipay app.
4. Confirm payment: Once you’ve paid, go back to the Wise app or website and select ‘I have paid’. Your transfer will then be on its way.

There’s more than just money transfer: There are other benefits of having a Wise account.

Open Wise account, you can have account details like Pounds, Euros, Canadian dollars, Australian dollars etc. This allows you to receive those local currencies thus avoiding the cost of converting money.

This service is provided in partnership with a licensed third party payment provider in China.

FAQs about topping up Alipay in China

1. Can I add someone else’s bank card to my Alipay?

No. Once your Alipay account has been verified with your identity, it will only allow you to link any card that belongs to the same person. And an identity-verified Alipay account won’t be able to change to someone else’s identity. When you register for Alipay in the first place, make sure whose account you want it to be, you or your families’.

2. How many cards can I bind to Alipay?

Max 30 cards.

3. How long before the money I top up to Alipay arrives in my balance?

It instantly arrives and shows on your Alipay balance once you refresh the page as long as your bank card has sufficient money and hasn’t reached its daily transfer limits.

4. Where do I check the money I just topped up in Alipay?

Go to the Alipay app home page and click “Me”, then select “Balance”, you’ll see the figure there.