News Product update

Send Chinese yuan instantly to Alipay users (card & wallets)

Chee-Xuan Tang
Chee-Xuan Tang
17.03.20 (updated more than 1 year ago)
Read time 2 minutes

Our current link up with Alipay now gives Wise customers a way to send and receive Chinese yuan instantly with Alipay wallet. There is no longer a need for your recipient to assign a bank card to their Alipay account even though this remains as an option to receive via Alipay. You only need your recipient’s name and Alipay ID. And as always, your money will be sent with the real exchange rate — like the one you see on Google.

How do I send CNY to Alipay users?

  1. Log in to Wise and set up a transfer to CNY
  2. Select Alipay, then tell us who you’re sending money to by entering your recipient’s name and Alipay ID (email or phone number registered with Alipay)
  3. Tell us why you are sending the money and confirm your details.
  4. Pay for your transfer.
  5. Tell your recipient to look out for a push notification from Alipay that contains a unique URL to receive the transfer

Note: you can only send to Chinese citizens registered with a Chinese Mainland Resident Identity Card on Alipay

What currencies can I send from?

Alipay currently does not support customers sending from China, Crimea Region, Cuba, Donetsk Region, Iran, Luhansk Region, Nigeria, North Korea, and Syria.

How does my recipient receive the transfer?

After the recipient clicks on the URL sent to them by Alipay, this will open up the Alipay app.

  1. On Alipay app, complete real name authentication

  2. Sign the service agreement

  3. Select Alipay wallet to receive the money

Note: Alipay may require the recipient to provide additional information such as photocopy of ID card, address, etc for compliance reasons.

If your recipient wishes to receive the money into their bank card instead, they can bind a bank card and select that to receive.

For more information, view this step-by-step guide in English and Mandarin

Who can I send CNY to via Alipay?

Anyone can receive money via Alipay if they’re a Chinese citizen and have an Alipay app. However you can only send to individual recipients and not businesses. Your money will arrive in either your recipient’s Alipay wallet or the bank linked to their Alipay ID within seconds, depending on the receiving method they selected on Alipay. They have to receive the money within 72 hours of it being sent.

How much can I send?

Each transaction’s capped at 50,000 CNY, with an annual limit of 500,000 CNY.

How much does it cost to send money to China?

The following costs are the estimated transfer fees when sending 5,000 CNY to China with bank debit (ACH) as payment method for USD and bank transfer as payment method for the rest. Total fees consist of upfront transfer fee and pay-in fees dependent on your pay-in method.

Send fromFees
USDUSD 11.86
GBPGBP 6.63
EUREUR 10.40
MYR41.27 MYR
AUDAUD 12.109

Actual total fees may vary depending on the method you choose to pay for your transfer. Bank transfer is a free pay-in method and it may take some time for your money to reach Wise, depending on your bank.

If you need to make an urgent transfer, you can pay with debit or credit card, with a fee. As soon as we receive your money, we’ll pay out to your Alipay recipient instantly.

For our latest pricing, visit our fees calculator.

Besides Alipay, we also support sending to Unionpay cards and Wechat recipients. You can learn more about these here.

We’re on a mission to make your life easier and save you money. With this new feature, you’ll be able to send CNY to Alipay users seamlessly or receive money faster and easier from Wise.

How can I receive money through Alipay?

You can receive money for free through Alipay when your sender transfers you money using Wise. Follow the steps below to make sure your account’s set up to receive money.

  1. Log in to Alipay and complete real-name authentication.
  2. Find 跨境汇款 (Global Remittance) mini app in Alipay app and link your bank card to your Alipay ID.
  3. Give your sender your name and Alipay ID — either your mobile number or email address.
  4. You’ll get a notification once the sender has transferred the money.

For more information, view this step-by-step guide in English and Mandarin

We’re on a mission to make your life easier and save you money. With this partnership, you’ll be able to send CNY to Alipay users seamlessly or receive money faster and easier from Wise.

*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.

We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.

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