Can YouTrip be used in China? Your complete guide 2025

YouTrip¹ is a popular and convenient way to manage your travel spending, with a physical and digital card, and multi-currency wallet to hold and spend foreign currencies easily. But can YouTrip be used in China?

China has a pretty unique payment landscape, with app and QR payments more commonly accepted by many merchants than cards. This guide covers all you need to know about how to use YouTrip in China. We'll also introduce the Wise account, a handy companion to make your money go further with low, transparent fees. Its linked debit card and features for low-cost currency exchange and easy QR payments make it another great option for trips to China.

Can the YouTrip Card be used in China?

The YouTrip card is a prepaid Mastercard, which is offered in physical and virtual forms. If you have a YouTrip card, you can use it in China wherever international Mastercard payments are accepted - look out for the Mastercard logo at the checkout, or ask before you pay².

Card payments may be accepted in China in international hotels and large chain stores which often deal with foreign visitors. However, it’s important to know that there are plenty of situations in China where card payments aren’t accepted - instead, people are more likely to use an app like WeChat Pay³ or AliPay⁴ to make a QR scan and pay transaction. We’ll look at how you can use YouTrip with AliPay or YouTrip with WeChat Pay in just a moment.

Understanding China’s Digital Payment Landscape

If you have an upcoming trip it’s crucial to understand how to pay in China as a tourist. Card payments may not always be accepted - and even where they are, Visa and Mastercard aren’t actually the most popular networks in China. You may find it easier to pay by card if you have a UnionPay card, but even this won’t cover all scenarios.

Instead, local mobile payment apps like WeChat Pay and Alipay are the more commonly used methods for daily purchases in China. If you’re making small payments on public transport for example, visiting a mom and pop store or street vendor, or eating in independent restaurants, you’ll need to have ways to pay with an app at the ready.

The good news is that foreign visitors can now use AliPay and WeChat Pay with relative ease. That means you can add your YouTrip card to your preferred app - or use the Wise card with AliPay or WeChat Pay for low cost payments like a local.

How to pay in China as a tourist

It’s helpful for visitors in China to have access to local mobile payment apps like WeChat Pay and AliPay to make smooth payments on arrival. It used to be the case that these apps could only be used by people with a Chinese bank account or card, but the option is now available to link a foreign bank card to your account, which is ideal for tourist use.

You’ll need to download the app you prefer and register an account following the onscreen prompts. To link your card, your WeChat Pay or AliPay account must be fully verified, which means adding an image of your ID card or passport for checking. You can then link your preferred card and pay using the following options⁶:

• Present and pay - open your app and find your payment QR code, which you present to the merchant to scan and deduct the required funds
• Scan and Pay - scan the merchant’s own QR code, enter the amount to pay and then confirm to allow the funds to be transferred

Linking YouTrip to AliPay or WeChat Pay

Assuming you already have a WeChat Pay or AliPay account, you can easily add your YouTrip card as the payment method to use during your trip to China. In both cases, you’ll need to have a verified account with the app before you get started linking your card - which usually means uploading images of your ID document to complete the required checks. Once that’s all done, you can add YouTrip to your preferred app in just a few steps⁵.

Here’s how to link YouTrip to AliPay:

1. Log into your AliPay account in the app
2. Click on Me and then Bank cards
3. Tap + Add Card and set up your 6-digit payment password
4. Follow the prompts to enter your YouTrip Mastercard details

Here’s how to link YouTrip to WeChat Pay:

1. Log into your WeChat Pay account in the app
2. Click on Me, then Services, and then Wallet
3. Tap Cards and then Add a card
4. Enter your WeChat PIN to verify your identity
5. Follow the prompts to enter your YouTrip Mastercard details

🤔 Find out how to link your Wise card to Alipay and Wechat Pay in this visual guide.

Making payments in China: Comparing YouTrip and Wise

Both YouTrip and Wise offer cards that can be linked to Alipay, WeChat Pay and provide good exchange rates, but their strengths lie in different areas.

While YouTrip has an overseas transfer feature, these transfers typically go to bank accounts or specific instant payment networks, and do not directly support sending funds to personal Alipay or WeChat Pay balances for individuals. This means that if you encounter a taxi driver, a street food vendor, or a small shop that only accepts payments to a personal QR code, you might find yourself in a tricky situation.

For broader flexibility in China, the Wise account, offers distinct advantages. You can send money directly to personal Alipay and WeChat Pay IDs, as well as UnionPay bank accounts. This can be useful for ensuring you are able to pay smaller, independent merchants. For even greater control over your spending, you can add money in SGD and hold a CNY balance, exchanging at the mid-market rate to lock in a favourable rate.

Beyond managing your CNY, Wise also allows you to hold and exchange over 40+, with low, transparent conversion fees from 0.26%. For eligible balances, Wise Interest offers a potential return on your held funds.

🚀 Get Started with Wise

Sources last checked: 21 July 2025