How To Use WeChat Pay As A Foreigner? [2024 Guide]

WeChat as a social media platform is huge in China. It’s China’s biggest social media platform, with Douyin (Chinese TikTok) trailing closely behind in 2nd place. However, WeChat soon started its online payment gateway called WeChat Pay. It functions like Google Pay or Apple Pay. However, do you know how to use WeChat Pay as a foreigner? 

Most foreigners who visit China often ask this question since other digital payment services like GPay and Apple Pay don’t work in China. If you are in China, you have no option but to learn how to use WeChat Pay, Alipay (by Alibaba), Baidu Wallet or Sina Weibo to pay your WeChat advertising costs. 

Therefore, if you plan to visit China as a tourist or for business, you must learn how to use WeChat Pay as a foreigner. Read this post till the end to learn how to do so and make your trips to China financially smoother! 

Can Foreigners Use WeChat Pay? 

Yes, foreigners can use WeChat Pay to make cashless transactions in mainland China. As you expect, WeChat Pay (one of the best digital payment systems) only works in China and nowhere else.  

However, starting in 2019, people can now use WeChat Pay in 25 countries apart from China, such as the United Kingdom, South Africa, Italy, and even the United States, to name a few. 

WeChat Pay was made available internationally since many Chinese tourists had trouble making international online payments. While it was initially made international only for Chinese tourists and expats, it was soon made available for all WeChat users internationally, irrespective of their nationality. This change made it one of the best global digital payment services. 

However, you must download the app’s international version to learn how to use WeChat Pay internationally. Moreover, this app version has several restrictions compared to its more featureful Chinese version. 

For example, you can learn how to use WeChat Pay to make retail payments. You cannot use the app to send money to your contacts. Moreover, you can only add your credit cards in the international version of WeChat Pay, not your debit cards. 

Furthermore, most stores internationally don’t accept WeChat Pay payments. Therefore, before you learn how to use WeChat Pay, it’s best to ask stores whether they accept WeChat Pay payments or not. 

How To Use WeChat Pay As A Foreigner? 

As a foreigner (non-Chinese citizen), you can quickly learn how to use WeChat by learning how to set up WeChat Pay. 

Therefore, follow these steps to learn how to set up and use WeChat Pay as a foreigner: 

1. First, open the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, depending on your smartphone OS (Android or iOS, respectively). 

2. Next, search for the WeChat Pay app and install it on your smartphone. 

3. After you install the WeChat Pay app, open it. 

4. Once you open the app, the option to Sign Up will come automatically. Therefore, click on it. 

5. Now, on the Sign-Up page, you must enter all the personal details they request. Therefore, since you are using the international version, they will ask for your name, residential address, date of birth, email ID, phone number, credit card number, and expiry date. 

6. Once you enter all the information that they request, click on Register. 

7. Now, you will get an OTP code on your smartphone number. 

8. Once you get the OTP, enter the WeChat Pay international app code and hit the Submit button. 

9. Finally, when your account is verified, you must provide a 6-digit PIN code. You must enter This PIN code on the app every time you decide to make a payment. 

That’s it! You have successfully learned how to create WeChat Pay account as a foreigner! Therefore, you have already taken the first step in learning how to use the WeChat Pay app! 

How To Link International Credit Cards To WeChat Pay? 

As I mentioned, if you wish to learn how to use WeChat Pay as a foreigner internationally, you must use your credit card. Only the Japanese version of WeChat Pay accepts debit cards and direct linking with your Chinese bank accounts. 

However, as a sign of grace, you can link multiple credit cards with your WeChat Pay app. Since you sign up to WeChat Pay using a credit card, you will eventually wish to add more credit cards so that you can pay from multiple bank accounts. 

Therefore, if you wish to learn how to use WeChat Pay as a foreigner by linking multiple credit cards to your account, follow these steps: 

1. First, open your WeChat Pay app. 

2. Next, click on Me to open your WeChat profile. 

3. Now, open your WeChat Pay Wallet. 

4. Once you open your wallet, tap on the Bank Card option. 

5. Next, click on the Add New Bank Card option. 

6. Now, you must enter your credit card details on the form that arrives on the screen. 

7. Once you enter your credit card details, you will receive a verification OTP on your card’s registered phone number. Therefore, check your messages and copy and paste the OTP code on the WeChat Pay app. 

That’s it! That’s all you must do to link a new credit card to your WeChat Pay account as a foreigner! Moreover, you can add multiple cards to your WeChat Pay account! 

How To Use WeChat Pay As A Foreigner In China?

Now that you know how to use WeChat Pay as a foreigner in countries other than China, you might wonder: how to use WeChat Pay as a foreigner in China? 

If you are a foreigner planning to visit China as a tourist or for business purposes, you can easily use WeChat Pay to make online store payments! 

Fortunately, there are no additional requirements for using WeChat Pay as a foreigner in China. All you must do is create your WeChat Pay account as a foreigner (explained above) and use it to make cashless transactions in China! 

Are There Any WeChat Pay Transaction Fees?

Since you just learned how to use WeChat Pay as a foreigner, you might wonder: Are there any transaction fees for using WeChat Pay as a foreigner outside China? 

The answer is yes. There is a transaction fee for using WeChat Pay as a foreigner outside China. However, it’s not as high as you think.

If you make payments less than RMB 200 (USD 27.82), then there’s no need to pay any additional transaction fees. However, if the transaction amount exceeds RMB 200, then you must pay a transaction fee of 3%.

For example, if you make payments worth USD 30 using WeChat Pay, you must pay $1 as a transaction fee.

Step Aside, Cash And Cards!

Now that you know how to use WeChat Pay as a foreigner in countries other than China, what are you waiting for? It’s time for you to start using WeChat Pay to make cashless payments in stores! 

However, if you have any questions regarding how to use WeChat Pay as a foreigner, please comment below! Moreover, thanks for reading this post!