Alipay transaction limits: Sending money to and from China

Do you know the Alipay transaction limit to send or receive money? If you are an expat in China, is there a limit for everyday life transactions using Alipay? Is it possible you can increase your Alipay maximum? Well, if you have no idea, this article will explain.

When you register an Alipay account and get it verified, you are given an Alipay transaction limit. Are you also considering Alipay to send money out of China? But for expats, this is just not possible. Fortunately, Wise is an expert for international money transfers, enabling you to conveniently send Chinese earnings overseas or convert different currencies via Wise multi-currency account.

Send money home using Wise today

Alipay transaction limit in China

Alipay Card transaction limit:

RMB 5,000 per transaction, RMB 5,000 per day, RMB 5,000 per month, RMB 5,000 per year (by natural year)¹.

**Note:**This limit is shared by all Alipay accounts under the same ID/Passport. For example, if an ID card registers two Alipay accounts, the Alipay card limit for these two accounts is shared, - it’s not two separate Alipay limits.

Alipay transfer limit to a bank card:

RMB 50,000 per transaction, RMB 20,000 per day, RMB 200,000 per month (excluding service charge)².

Note: In case of conflict between the payment methods and this limit, the one with the lower limit shall prevail.

Free Alipay transfer limit to another Alipay account via mobile phone app:

Subject to payment method limit, please refer to the prompts on the page³.

Alipay transfer limit to another Alipay account via online (with a fee):

RMB 20,000 per transaction, RMB 20,000 per day³.

Alipay business account transfer limit to another Alipay account (with fees)

If a merchant signs up with Alipay after 1 November 2019⁴:

1. Single transfer limit: for transfers to individual Alipay accounts, the maximum amount for a single transfer is RMB 50,000; for transfers to business Alipay accounts, the maximum amount for a single transfer is RMB 100,000;
2. Daily limit: the initial amount is RMB 2 million, i.e. the maximum daily transfer is RMB 2 million;
3. Monthly limit: the initial amount is 31 million yuan, that is, the maximum monthly transfer of 31 million yuan;
4. The above Alipay transaction limit will be adjusted according to the actual transfer of funds.

If a merchant signed with Alipay before 1 November 2019⁴:

1. A maximum of RMB 1 million can be transferred per day;
2. A maximum of RMB 50,000 for a single transfer to individual Alipay accounts; A maximum of RMB 100,000 for a single transfer to business Alipay accounts.

Alipay transaction limits for expats in China

For foreigners who live in China, the Alipay transaction limits depend on the bank card linked to your Alipay account. If you added a Chinese bank card, then the limits are the same as we mentioned above.

If you added an international card, the Alipay transaction limits are:

• Minimum RMB 0.10
• Maximum RMB 3000/transaction
• RMB 50000/month
• RMB 65000/year (single Alipay account and single card will be limited to a total limit of RMB 6,5000).

Please refer to the actual Alipay page for details.

How to update Alipay transaction limit?

• Improve Zhima credit score(Chinese name: 芝麻信用分). The higher the Zhima credit score, the higher the Alipay transaction limit.
• Install digital certificate. Digital certificate is a security measure that can enhance the user's authentication and transaction security. After installing a digital certificate, users can increase the single-day limit for balance payments.
• Use Ant Forest. Users can collect energy to plant real trees. This not only contributes to the environment, but also boosts Alipay limits.

Limits of transferring money to Alipay from aboard

Generally, there is no limit to receiving money from abroad using Alipay. However, only Chinese nationals, including users from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau, can use this Alipay Quick Collect service⁵. That is to say, expats in China are unable to receive international funds via Alipay.

The limit for each transfer via Wise is RMB 50,000. And the limit varies for the transfer purposes of goods and services.

Note: Wise transaction limits are regulated by the Foreign Exchange Bureau in China. They are not decided by Wise.

Know more details about How to Use Wise to Send and Receive CNY via Alipay

Sending money out of China through Alipay: limits and regulations

While Chinese nationals can send money out of China using Alipay to pay their fees when studying abroad. At present Alipay doesn't support non-mainland Chinese users to send money overseas via its platform. In future it might be possible, we will keep you updated.But! You don’t have to depend on Alipay for everything!

Foreigners in China can use Wise to send money from China to 160+ countries. Sending money abroad via Wise is easy and fast. You can handle the transaction in your Wise app or via online with only a few taps.

Send money from China to abroad using Wise: limits and time!

Wise allows an expat in China who has a valid tax record issued by the China tax authority to send money abroad from CNY. You can choose either sending CNY from your Wise balance, or simply setting up a bank transfer via Wise to move funds from your Chinese bank account.

The limit for a single CNY transfer abroad is 100,000 CNY. Additionally, Wise will apply an overall limit equal to your approximate post-tax income from China.

Regarding the transfer fee to send money out of China using Wise, the amount, the destination country, and the payment method you select all play a role. But it's crucial to understand that Wise charges low service fees, and always uses the mid-market exchange rate, which is lower than that of physical banks, saving you money!

Other advantages of Wise that you are likely to be interested in:

• Make CNY transfer to WeChat Pay or Unionpay bank cards in China;
• Hold 40+ currencies in your account;
• Getting account details in 8 currencies, such as USD, AUD, CAD, EUR, GBP, NZD, etc.;

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