Downloads Before Traveling to China: Alipay, WeChat & Essential Mobile Apps

MUST-HAVE APPS IN CHINA THAT SUPPORT ENGLISH

Forget fumbling with cash, getting lost, or struggling to communicate—traveling to China is easy when you have the right tools. If you're a foreign visitor, these must-have apps are non-negotiable: they'll solve your biggest travel headaches (no local SIM card, language barriers, complex transportation, network or payment issues!) and let you focus on enjoying everything about this wonderland during your journey.

If you're a first-time visitor to China and planning to start a fantastic trip in this country, these essential apps are prepared for you! From app downloads and basic settings to how to use them, learning this information will let you lift the mysterious veil of China, immerse yourself in local life from Payment,  Communication, Navigation, Transportation, Travel booking, Entertainment, Language, Networks and Local service apps!

Table of Contents:

• Payment & Communication
  1. Alipay
  2. Wechat

• Navigation & Transportation
  3. Amap Global
  4. DIDI China: Ride Hailing
  5. MetroMan China

• Language & Network
  6. Googel Translate
  7. eSIM Card

• Shopping & Lesiure
  8. Dianping: Discover good places
  9. Rednote
  10. Meituan

• FAQs

• App Service Tel

Payment & Communication：

Many travelers from aboard will feel headache about the payment in China. But now, with the development of technology, you can have a number of payment options at your fingertips while traveling in China, ranging from mobile payments to bank cards and cash. Here are 5 basic way to make the payment in China at present.

Among them, the Mobile payment is the most convenient and efficient way to buy everything you want during your journey. What you need to do is download the most popular mobile payment applications in China—Alipay and Wechat!

1. Alipay （支付宝）

Alipay is one of the most popular mobile payment application in China which is developed by Alibaba. It's like a China's Paypal that has more functions. It's also a must-have app before flying to China. You can follow these steps and make payment easily along your journey:

Step 1: Download

Search for Alipay in the App store or on its official website (https://www.alipay.com), and choose the logo with “支” in blue and white color, make sure it is the latest version and click GET.

Step 2: Register

Open the app, and register with your phone number or just sign in if you have already registered, read and agree the service agreement and privacy protection, allow Alipay to access and use this phone number, enter verification code and follow the prompts.

Step 3: Add Bank Cards

Enter in main page, click "Me" and choose "Bank Cards" to add your cards.

Step 4: Enter Bank Card No.

Many types of cards can be used in Alipay includes VISA, Mastercard, American Express, Discover Card, JCB Card and Union Pay, which is very convenient for foreign tourists, you can choose the right type of bank card and it will appear on the Payment Method when you are shopping. 

Step 5: Use Alipay to Make Payment

Pay by scanning QR code.

When you are about to make a payment, you need open Alipay in advance and click "Pay/Collect" to give or receive money, with the technology development, here are several ways to pay by using Alipay app:

1. Tap "Scan", and scan the merchant-presented QR code (Merchate QR code usually stick on the door or on the wall, put on the desk or any other places you can find directly, some of them support both Alipay and Wechat pay!)

2. Many shops or markets have the Alipay machine with Alipay logos, you can tap "Pay/Collect" to show your payment code to the machine and finish payment. (The new user may have extra coupons or discounts!)

3. In the year of 2024, the new NFC technology is introduced to the public, open the NFC on your phone in advance and put your phone on the "Alipay Tap" machine, you can make the payment without even opening your mobile phone, which is really convenient. (Left to scan the code and right to use NFC! You can even click the middle of the machine to get your lucky coupons!)

2. Wechat （微信）

If you're traveling in China in a very short time, you may use Alipay instead. But if you are planning to stay in china over a week or want to live like a local, Wechat is absolutely an essential and necessary app for you. Almost everyone in China use this app for payment, booking, communicating, working and more. It's a comprehensive and powerful all-in-one app for messaging, payments, entertainment and mini programs, like a combination of WhatsApp, Paypal, and Facebook, which is very useful. You can follow these steps to get this app for free:

Step 1: Download

Search for the Wechat in App store or on its official website (https://weixin.qq.com) , and download the app. Download the latest version of WeChat app or update it to the latest version. Then register with your phone number or sign in if you already have an account.

Step 2: Open Wechat Pay

Tap【Me】-【Services】-【Wallet】to find WeChat Pay, If you cannot find the options above, you can activate WeChat Pay in one of the following ways.

1. Tap【Me】-【Settings】-【General】-【Tools】-【WeChat Pay】-【Enable】

Step 3: Add Bank Cards

Enter in the main page, click "Me", choose "Pay and Services", and tap "Wallet" to add your bank cards.

Step 4: Use Wechat to Make Payment

Method 1: Show your code to the Merchants

Choose "Me"- "Pay and Service", tap "Money" to show your Payment Code and finish the payment. (Many local shops or street merchants are still using Wechat payments now, so some of the shops may don't have Alipay, it's a nice choice to download both of them to handle all the situations.)

Method 2: Scan the Merchant code with Wechat

Choose "Chats" and tap the upper-right "⊕" sign to unfold the "Scan", scan the  code to make the payment. Most shops will place their QR Code on the desk, door, or stick on the wall.

Exploring more functions of Wechat (Mini Programs):

As a powerful all-in-one app, you can not only use Wechat to make payments, but also to make more friends in China, you can even book Flight & Train tickets, search Hotels, order delivery food and rent taxi vehicles...Many of the functions in Wechat are waiting for your exploration!

Navigation & Transportation：

China is a vast land country with different landform, from countrysides to metropolitan cities, the transportation condition is complex and easy to get lost. So it is important to have a navigation app in your phone before traveling to China. At present, there are 7 ways of transportation in people's daily life as follows, each of them has different characteristics, you can fully choose it according to your needs (here we have prepared a transportation list for you).

3. AMap Global（高德地图）

If you are finding a great navigation app before flying to China. Baidu Map is a great choice for you, it's like a Google Maps for China, but more powerful with built-in 3D maps and various of travel routes arrangement options and recommendation, you can also book tickets, check bus time, find subway stations or even search travel guides on this app.

Step 1: Download

Search for the Amap global in App store or on its official website (https://gaode.com) , and download the app. 

Step 2: Arrange Your Routes

Open the app and tap your destination, you can add passing locations and get your ultimate travel routes recommendations, you can see real timetransit information and different route options with specific spending time!

Step 3: Explore more functions

Except the navigation service, Amap also provides many extra services as well, you can check the weather and air condition of your destination, measuring the distance and calculating the altitude, it will recommend different route options according to your ways of travel. The 3D map includes the most detail places and corners around China, no matter you wanna shopping, traveling or searching the treasure local restaurants, Amap will make it happen. It is convenient to find your destinations and avoid getting lost!

4. DIDI China: Ride Hailing（滴滴打车）

If you are planning to explore the scenic spots that difficult to attach, take taxi is a great choice, DIDI is like a Uber of China but with more functions. From ride-hailing, carpool to taxi, there are various of vehicles options in different price ranges, from economy to premium. You can even choose the pet-friendly car to travel with your cute pets! Here are steps of download and using methods of DIDI:

Step 1: Download

Search for the DIDI in App store or on its official website (https://www.didiglobal.com) , and download the app. (remember to choose "DIDI China" instead of "DIDI Rider" if you are about to traveling in China.)

Step 2: Registered and Get Coupons & Discounts

DIDI provides many discounts and coupons for new clients, enter your phone number and get registered,  enter verification code, choose DIDI on the main page and get discounts!

Step 3: Order a ride

Enter your destination and choose the right place, make sure the location is correct. Then you can choose different vehicles according to your needs from economy one to Premium, the time and distance is arranged by the app automatically, what you need to do is choose your car and confirm! You can also choose airport pickup & drop off service in this app, which support photo directions to locate fast and efficiently.

Step 4: Explore More Functions

Besides, you can also explore more mini services, you can order a ride for others, and arrange your trips with DIDI and Amap global together, which is very efficient and convenient.

5. MetroMan China（地铁通）

MetroMan is a great app for people who want to check the time of subway & bus, it provides the latest information of every metro lines. It’s also a simple and efficient route planner that offers detailed time, route, and fare information. It also support offline work, Covered with more than 50 cities in China includes Beijing, Shanghai, GuangZhou, Shenzheng, Hongkong and other popular metropolitan cities, which is a practical app for foreign tourists or visitors to check the time and routes of subway.

Step 1: Download

Search for the MetroMan China in App store or on its official website (https://www.metroman.cn) , and download the app.

Step 2: Choose Your City and Arrange Routes

Open the MetroMan China and enter the city name, then you can follow the prompts to choose the destination and tap "search" to check all the subway routes, time, fare and distance, which is very convenient.

Language & Network：

First time to China? If you are worried about the language barrier and network, here we have prepared some key apps for you to smooth your journey! No matter where you are from, what language you speak, you can fully enjoy yourself with these apps in China and immerse yourself into the China culture, live like a local is not a difficult thing for you after removing the language and network barrier. Here are some great recommended apps:

6. Google Translate（谷歌翻译）

Google translate is a good app for travelers for its various of language support and excellent translation, you can communicate with locals by using Google translate with no worries. No matter what language you spoken, it will translate into the target language in a fast, efficient, and accurate way. 

Step 1: Download

Search for the Google Translate in App store and download the app.

Step 2: Enter The Message and Start Communicating

Open the Google Translate when you are travel in China and need to communicate with locals, speaking to the phone and it will get your words automatically, then show your translation to them, and they will understand what you said. It's also support many languages like Albanian, Danish, Esperanto, Hindi, Italian, Japanese and so on. You can even take a photo and translate by using Google Translate, which is a necessary language service app for foreign travelers.

7. Domestic eSIM & International eSIM (Network)

Taking photos, Making friends, Surfing the internet and feeling the local media entertainments all needs smooth and stable network, there are two types of eSIM card transactions called the domestic eSIM and the international eSIM, the domestic one needs complete certificates and requirements, which is suitable for those who want to stay or live in China. While the international eSIM is easy to get and use, which is a perfect choice for short travel.

International eSIM: (for short travels)

If you are about to travel to China in a short time, it is a great choice to buy a international eSIM card online without any extra verification, purchase and activate in advance (many popular brand like Holafly, Airalo are support China region network service).

Step 1:

Buying "China eSIM card package" on the official website or downlord from App Store. From 5 to 30 days with no flow limitation. (here are some popular brands for you)

Step 2:

Make sure your phone can support the eSIM network and activate the mobile data plan, check your travel schedule and obey the local regulations. If you have any worries or questions, don't hesitate to contact with the online service.

Domestic eSIM: (for Long term living)

If you plan to stay in China for a long time, you may be interested on the domestic eSIM mobile data plans. Compared with the international eSIM, you can access more websites and local applications like Taobao, Pinduoduo, Meituan and so on. Purchase stuff you like and enjoy delicious food delivery service any time you want! Meanwhile, you need to meet the following conditions:

China Unicom eSIM transaction:

1. Certificate requirement: Valid passport + Valid visa (tourist visa or business visa, and make sure the validity period should be longer than the usage period.)

2. Move to the China Unicom offline store at the airport or business center, show your passport and visa, fill in the table in English and finish the verification.

3. After fill in the blanks, choose the satisfied mobile data plan and scan the code to activate your eSIM card in 72hrs.

The Best Apps for Chinese Food, Shopping & Leisure

After introducing the above apps, you may get more interested in the food, shopping and entertainment apps when you are traveling in China. Buying local stuffs, tasting local food and experiencing the local culture with these app would add more sparkling highlights during your journey. If you want to order food delivery online, viewing the most popular goods in a cost-effective price, sharing your thoughts with different people in China on the internet, here are the best and the most popular apps that many Chinese are using:

8. Dianping: Discover Good Places（大众点评）

This app collects the authentic reviews of every restaurant, stores or scenic spots around China, it can also help you to discover many delicacies from big hotel to small local corners. It's like a Trip advisor of China, if you want to find any nice restaurants, shopping malls or locale stores, this app is very helpful and a perfect choice for you. It can even show the specific names and locations of a store within a shopping mall!

Step 1: Download

Search for the Dianping in App store and download the app.

Step 2: Login and Start to Explore

Login with your phone number or Wechat account, you can tap the upper-left button to change your city. Then there will appear the restaurants, hotels, Cinemas, Hospital, Malls and any other entertainment service around the city, you can also check the authentic reviews, food recommendation, food exploration and review post....A large wonderful kingdom is waiting for you! 

9. Rednote（小红书）

RedNote is a very versatile application that you can share your interesting experiences and thoughts with others online, it can also become a search engine while you can ask questions in words and pictures to collect solving method from others. Almost everything you are curious about can be found in this fantastic app! Post a picture and write down your thought, your experience and your feelings, you can also buying things on RedNote as well. It supports English version and many language translation, which is great to communicate with others easily, by following an RED account, you can get more related useful tips no matter in your daily life, your interested field or even emotional wellness counseling.

Step 1: Download

Search for the RedNote in App store and download the app.

Step 2: Register and Choose your Interested Field

Open the app and register with your Wechat or Phone number, select your favourite fields and start to explore!

10. Meituan（美团）

Want to enjoy the local delicious food in the hotel? You can find Meituan app and order a food delivery in a great price. No matter you want to taste noodles, fish, cakes, drinks or even buying medicine, you can open this app and take a order. Meituan will show the specific distance, delivery time and put the food package in front of your door according to your requirements. Besides, you can also find many discounts and coupons if you're a new user, fill in your address, phone number, order your food—all you need to do is sitting on the couch and waiting for your meals! The official Meituan app in the App Store only support Chinese, but you can open the Wechat, and find it's English version in Mini Program!

Step 1: Open Mini Program in Wechat

Slide down the main page and enter the Mini Program search page, enter "Meituan" and tap the program with yellow kangaroo logo, tap "translate" to unlock your food delivery experience!

FAQs

1. Where to Use the WeChat & Alipay ?

You can use it almost in everywhere from big shopping malls to small stores, restaurants, business center, taxi, sightseeing, healthcare, entertainment and hotels.

2. Do I need a Chinese Mainland (+86) phone number?

No, you can use your international phone number as long as it can receive SMS verification codes.

3. What kind of transactions does WeChat Pay currently support for international cards?

4. Is there a transaction limit? How is the exchange rate calculated?

5. Are there any transaction fees?

Apps Service tel:

Alipay: +8657126886000 (English service hotline)

Wechat: 4006700700 (official service number)

Didi: (Customer：400 0000 999; Driver：400 0000 666; Chauffeurs：400 0111 666)

Almap Global: 400-810-0080 (24/7 service)

Meituan: (+86) 311-8654-7100 (Overseas service)