Personal Finance Tips

Does WeChat Pay (Weixin Pay) work in Hong Kong?

Hoi Yi Leung

17.12.25

Read time 4 minutes

You might have heard about WeChat Pay – the giant digital wallet service from mainland China. Living in Hong Kong, you might also want to know if WeChat Pay can be used for your daily purchases right here in Hong Kong. There is actually the localized version of WeChat Pay in Hong Kong, often known as WeChat Pay HK,

Read this article to learn the differences between the mainland version of WeChat Pay (Weixin Pay) and WeChat Pay HK, and how each one works in Hong Kong.

You’ll also discover an alternative for easy, low-cost international payments — Wise.

Table of contents
Understanding the WeChat Pay landscape in Hong Kong Does mainland WeChat Pay work for everyday transactions in Hong Kong? Fees for using WeChat Pay in Hong Kong Frequently asked questions Can I use my mainland China WeChat Pay balance to pay for groceries in Hong Kong? Is WeChat Pay HK the same as mainland WeChat Pay? I'm a tourist. Can I use WeChat Pay in Hong Kong?

Understanding the WeChat Pay landscape in Hong Kong

WeChat Pay is the digital wallet service from the popular Chinese message WeChat. Among all the Chinese digital payment apps, WeChat Pay is actually one of the most popular ones. People use it for almost everything – from paying for groceries and bills, to sending money, to even making purchases outside of China as well.

Hong Kong, however, has a very distinct and highly regulated financial system. That is why there is a separate version following the local regulation: WeChat Pay HK. As long as you have a WeChat account, you can activate a WeChat Pay HK account as well.

Just like the mainland version, WeChat Pay HK is a pretty neat choice to pay for your everyday expenses in Hong Kong. But it is worth noting that when it comes to cross-border functionality, WeChat Pay HK comes with some geographic limitations. For example, the remittance service of WeChat Pay HK is only available to China, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

Here is how WeChat Pay vs. WeChat Pay HK differentiate:

	WeChat Pay	WeChat Pay HK
Primary Function	Mainly used for transactions in mainland China.	Mainly used for transactions in Hong Kong.
Supported Currency	CNY	HKD
Account Setup and Account Verification Requirements	For Chinese citizens: A mainland China bank account and Chinese ID. For Hong Kong/Macao/Taiwan: Mainland Travel Permit or Mainland Residence Permit and overseas bank card. For others: PRC’s Permanent Resident ID or Passport and overseas bank card	Often requires a Hong Kong ID, credit card/bank account from a Hong Kong bank, or Chinese/Hong Kong phone number for account setup and verification.

WeChat Pay

WeChat Pay HK

Primary Function

Mainly used for transactions in mainland China.

Mainly used for transactions in Hong Kong.

Supported Currency

CNY

HKD

Account Setup and Account Verification Requirements

For Chinese citizens: A mainland China bank account and Chinese ID.

For Hong Kong/Macao/Taiwan: Mainland Travel Permit or Mainland Residence Permit and overseas bank card.

For others: PRC’s Permanent Resident ID or Passport and overseas bank card

Often requires a Hong Kong ID, credit card/bank account from a Hong Kong bank, or Chinese/Hong Kong phone number for account setup and verification.

Does mainland WeChat Pay work for everyday transactions in Hong Kong?

The mainland version of WeChat Pay can work in Hong Kong, but this functionality is primarily designed for mainland Chinese tourists and travelers who are used to paying in CNY.

So that’s it to say, if you’re based in Hong Kong, paying for your purchases in HKD, using WeChat Pay to pay for your every transaction might not be ideal. Instead, you should switch to WeChat Pay HK, which is way friendlier for HKD transactions!

Fees for using WeChat Pay in Hong Kong

If you link a foreign card (like Visa or Mastercard) to your mainland Weixin Pay account to pay, you need to be aware of the transaction fees:

Transaction Amount	Transaction Fee
Single transactions under CNY 200	0%
Single transactions over CNY 200	3%

WeChat Pay HK charges users some fees as well. Here is how WeChat Pay HK measures¹:

Category	Fees
Pay a merchant	Balance or linked bank account: Waived Linked credit cards: Up to 3% fee (Varies by card/annual limit)
Local P2P transfers (FPS/WeChat HK/Red Packet)	WeChat Pay HK balance: waived Linked bank account: waived Credit card: Bank of China/UnionPay: 1.50% Other credit cards: 2.50%
Local P2B transfers (FPS), excluding government payments	WeChat Pay HK balance or linked bank account: 1% Through credit card: Bank of China/UnionPay: 1.50% Other credit cards: 2.50%
Cross-border Remittance	To China: Less than 6,500 HKD: 25 HKD More than 6,500 HKD: Free First remittance is free To the Philippines: 20 HKD To Indonesia: 16 HKD

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my mainland China WeChat Pay balance to pay for groceries in Hong Kong?

WeChat Pay users from mainland China can use WeChat Pay balance to pay for purchases made in Hong Kong.

If you are a resident in Hong Kong, it is recommended to get a WeChat Pay HK account instead! WeChat Pay HK is so much better equipped with HKD transactions, making your purchase here in Hong Kong more hassle-free.

Is WeChat Pay HK the same as mainland WeChat Pay?

No. WeChat Pay HK is the localized version for Hong Kong. While the mainland version operates in CNY for domestic payments, WeChat Pay HK uses HKD for transactions in Hong Kong.

I'm a tourist. Can I use WeChat Pay in Hong Kong?

Tourists visiting Hong Kong can often use their existing WeChat Pay accounts, including the mainland version.² However, multiple other payment options are also available for tourists throughout the city.

WeChat Pay does work in Hong Kong, but if you are a resident of Hong Kong, you should set the wallet region as Hong Kong. This digital wallet is extremely useful for residents because it makes daily payments simple and convenient. Almost everything you need is at your fingertips.

If you are just a visitor here, it is good to know that besides WeChat Pay, Hong Kong also offers a wide variety of other payment options, such as Alipay HK, Octopus, Visa/Mastercard, and local digital wallets like PayMe, Tap & Go, and BOC Pay. With so many choices, even short-term visitors like you can find a payment method that suits them.

If you frequently send money internationally, you may also want to consider Wise. Hong Kong users can take advantage of Wise’s transparent international transfer service.

Worried about high fees? Wise makes sure to show all your transaction costs before sending – what you see is what you pay! Plus, you can enjoy the real mid-market exchange rate when you transfer money.

Learn more about Wise

Sources used in this article:

Kf.QQ: Transaction Fee schedule
WeChat.QQ: WeChat Cross-Border Pay Solution
WeChat Help Center: Guide to Add and Use International Cards with Weixin Pay:

Sources last checked on 13-Nov-2025

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