How to set up an Alipay account as a foreigner?

In major Chinese cities, paying by cash is all but a thing of the past for many thanks to the convenience of mobile payment. You can pay with Alipay, or as it’s known in Chinese, Zhifubao, China’s leading mobile and online payment service. It makes paying for your goods easy, as all you have to do is simply input your payment password or scan the payment code on the Alipay app.

1.Download the Alipay APP
First, get the latest version of the app from the app store. Sign up with a valid mobile phone number. Alipay will send a text message with a confirmation code to the number, which you will have to input. Set a password on the next screen and the app will log you in automatically.

You can do so by following this link and clicking “立即下载” (or by looking for it in your favorite APP store):

https://m.alipay.com

You can sign up simply with your phone number

2.Open the “Me” section of the APP
Open the app and you will see “Me” on the bottom right corner, then tap “My Account”. If you haven’t added a card before, tap “Add Card” next to the “My Cards” box.

3.Enter the “My Account: Cards, Membership” section
If this is your first time, you’ll need to set a six digit code as your payment password. You’ll be using this password anytime you pay online.

4.Tap on the “My Cards – Add Now” button
Next, you will be directed to a bank card information page. Enter your Chinese bank card number. Alipay will then display the name of your bank beside “Card Type”. Fill in your name and other information. As for credit cards, users can add international Visa/Mastercard credit cards.

5.Set a six digit payment password
Be sure to select the type of ID you have and enter in your personal information exactly the way it is registered at the bank. Alipay will send a text message containing a confirmation code to the phone number you’ve entered for your bank account. Enter this code to finish linking your bank card to Alipay.

6.Tap on “My Cards – Add Now” again
Your bank card will now appear in the “My Cards” tab. With that, you can make purchases with your phone just about anywhere in China. For payments, just tap the “Pay” button to load your personal QR code that can be scanned by friends and retailers.

7.Add your bank card number after entering the transaction password that you have set during step 5

8. Fill your bank card information, and enter the SMS phone verification confirmation code.