This is what Google said:

To set up Alipay as a foreigner, you'll need to download the Alipay app, register with your international phone number or email, and verify your identity using your passport. You can then link your international credit or debit cards, like Visa or Mastercard, to your account for payments.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:

1. Download and Install:
Download the official Alipay app from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android).

2. Register Your Account:
Open the app and tap on "Sign Up" or "Register".

Enter your international phone number or email address.

Follow the prompts to verify your phone number or email with a verification code.

3. Verify Your Identity:
Navigate to the "Me" tab, then "Settings," then "Account & Security," then "Identity Verification".

You'll need to upload a photo of your passport and possibly complete a facial verification process.

Alipay will then verify your identity, which can take a few hours or longer.

4. Link Your International Card:
Go to the "Me" tab and tap on "Bank Cards".

Add your Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Discover, or Diners Club card.

You may need to verify the card with your bank, such as through an OTP (One-Time Password).

5. Start Using Alipay:
Once your account is verified and your card is linked, you can start using Alipay for payments in China.

You can scan QR codes at stores or present your personal payment code for merchants to scan.

Important Notes:
It's recommended to download the app and complete the verification process before traveling to China to avoid potential connectivity issues.

Some banks may charge foreign transaction fees for using your card with Alipay, so it's a good idea to check with your bank.

While you can link your international card, some users find that using a Chinese bank card or a prepaid card (like TourPass) offers broader acceptance.

Nope they say its not connected to the china system

You can open a Non Resident Account in China using a tourist visa, but you need approval and a good reason for opening one

haha fair enough already such a stressful situation and they lucked out just enjoy the trip and deal with it when you have to deal with it.

Yeah, it is almost like the world is trending towards being a totally surveilled.

Oh well, if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about, citizen.

LOL At least there is somewhat of a way to do it now?

When I went in 2019, the default response was :lol +:gtfo:

My understanding is that you can link your foreign card to alipay/wechat pay before you enter china. Also if you are entering on a transit visa beware that the great wall is not considered part of the beijing area so you could get into trouble.

Beijing metro ticket machines took cash, the marriott hotel I stayed at for reason didnt firewall western content, took amex etc. The "nicer" restaurants + western fast food chains all took credit cards.

And yeah I agree that e-visas are a cash grab disguised as "border security" and ruin spontaneous travel. UK this year, EU next year what next?

Yes most places take western credit card other than street food and mom and pop shops.

Your people in Shanghai told me to get out of here with my lousy Amex, Mastercard, and Visa. :okay:

Only the hotel accepted credit card for payment. And that was a pain in the ass too!

They don’t like Guangdong bastards. Or Beijing bastard. Or out of town bastards. Or people from the other side of the river even…..

They’ll only take a credit card from the guy who lives within a 5 block radius of where they are and even then, you better go back at least 5 generations of shanghainese or else you’re just a fucking farmer.

Shanghainese hate everyone. Even other….. shanghainese fucks.

I heard you need wechat + alipay to be safe.

Going china in Sept

Yes, I highly recommend both. Most places accept both, but you will come across some merchants and restaurants that only accept one or the other.

i know you can do it if you're on vacation. I asked the same question.. what do you do .. there has to be a way as a tourist to link it to a credit card.

Would also have to assume to have access to china sim card as well.

Oh, interesting.

I just noticed you can get a travel pass on Rogers, valid for 14 days for $90. Works out to about $6.43'ish per day and it uses your existing data bucket. Not bad to keep your own number while avoiding the Great Firewall. It's valid in China too.

Noticing Guangdong everywhere lately, fucking Guangdongians!

10 Insane Facts About Guangdong

1. Opium Hub: Guangzhou was ground zero for the British opium trade, which sparked the Opium Wars.
2. Hell Money Bonfires: People burn paper iPhones, Gucci bags—even full paper “Teslas”—for their ancestors.
3. Lychee Lust: Tang emperor Xuanzong had fresh lychees rushed from Guangdong to Yang Guifei over a thousand years ago.
4. Cannibal Famines: Historical accounts describe human flesh sold or eaten during severe famines and clan feuds.
5. Extreme Eats: From snake wine to civet cat stew; Guangdong cuisine’s reputation for “eating everything” didn’t appear from nowhere.
6. Pirate Queen: Ching Shih commanded 300+ ships off Guangdong and retired rich after outplaying multiple navies.
7. Factory Ghosts: Urban legends tell of haunted dorms, phantom night shifts, and incense on assembly lines.
8. Triad Roots: Many Chinese secret societies and early triad networks trace origins to Guangdong.
9. Exploding Melons: 2011 farms saw watermelons literally explode after misuse of growth chemicals.
10. Shenzhen Time Warp: A fishing village in 1980 turned into a 17M+ megacity, with farms and skyscrapers often side by side.

that's some dry ass pork

It still roam's through China mobile provider networks, so I assume the firewall will remain active and would still require a VPN?

Side note if you have the Rogers Mastercard you get 5 roam days for free as well.

why you researching guangdong bastards? HOW DARE YOU!

dui le say pok gai gewilo

I can't see jason20000000 cause i blocked him.

Originally Posted by Jason00S2000 View Post
Lychee Lust: Tang emperor Xuanzong had fresh lychees rushed from Guangdong to Yang Guifei over a thousand years ago.

this is actually a true story and they made a similar movie (using the title / idiom) but with a modern story line

It's called "The Lychee Road"


king tasted lychee from some place, loves it and wanted to send to his concubine. So he gave this dreadful task to a mayor, but, 1 day it loses freshness, 2 days in, it changes color, 3 days in and it stars to lost its smell.

When I was there in 2019, I forgot to turn my roaming off so I was roaming while on Fido (I'm not on Rogers) and it used Canadian servers. Didn't require a VPN. I don't think it has changed, so your mileage may vary. :D

After I got a local SIM from one of the local providers (I forgot which) any time I tried to access Western content, it was blocked. I recall not being able to access some pages of RS. You can't use Google or Facebook, but you can use Microsoft Bing. Yeah. :pokerface:

Oh, I did not know this. Is this only for Rogers Wireless (not Fido) only?

Correct, Rogers only unfortunately.

Question for Skinny I guess, should we be buying rtx5090s to bring to HK or the mainland to sell to cover our trip out there? :lol: just watching the gamers nexus investigative report and those prices are insane

It's still the same - foreign SIM cards route all traffic back to the home country (Canadian servers in our case), so western content remains accessible as long as you stay on the roaming sim card's data plan. Connecting to local WiFi (EDIT: or local sim) will put the device behind the firewall.

That, I have no clue.. I don't follow that stuff anymore

Looks like they go for $22-30K which is like $2800-3700ish USD, which is fucking insane. So if you can get them for like half that, why not give it a try