Why Alipay won’t take your card, and the fixes that work
Installing Alipay is easy. Linking a foreign card is where most people get stuck, and it’s nearly always one of a handful of fixable things.
Read →Hi, I'm David. I've spent years being the new foreigner: in the US for a long stretch, then Germany, France, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Australia. Now I live in China, and this is where I write down what actually works here, tested in person and dated so you know it's current. More about me →
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Phone & Money
Getting online and paying for things: the two things that trip up most visitors. See all →
Will WhatsApp work in China? Roaming eSIM vs a local SIM
Short answer: on a roaming eSIM, usually yes. On hotel Wi-Fi or a Chinese SIM, usually no. How it works, what to buy and when to set it up.
Read →WeChat Pay or Alipay? Set up both, but start with Alipay
Both take foreign cards now. Alipay is easier for visitors and does more in English; WeChat is how everyone here keeps in touch.
Read →Opening a bank account in China as a student or worker
What the bank will ask for, why one branch says yes when another says no, and how to get it done in one visit.
Read →Cash, tipping and haggling in China: quick answers
Carry a little cash in small notes, don't tip, and only haggle at markets. The short version, with the reasons.
Read →Sending your salary home from China
It can be done, but bring your paperwork. Bank wires, online services, what the bank will want to see, and why two banks give two answers.
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