Can foreigners use Alipay for the metro in China?
Yes. Open the ride code in Alipay, choose your city and activate it once. International accounts may need to verify a passport first.
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How to Pay for the Metro in China: Alipay Ride Code or Tap Your Card
Maintained by Lin · Rules checked against official metro announcements, October 23, 2026
Quick answer
You have two easy options:
Tap your bank card at the gate. Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen metros accept contactless Visa, Mastercard, American Express and JCB cards. No app, no ticket. In Shenzhen, use a gate showing your card's logo.
Use Alipay's ride code. In Alipay, open Transport (出行) or search for "ride code" (乘车码), choose your city, activate it once, then scan the code at the gate. It's the ride code, not the payment QR you show in shops.
Jump to: Tap your card · Alipay ride code · At the gate · Other options
Last reviewed: October 23, 2026
Option 1: tap your bank card at the gate
In China's biggest metro systems you no longer need an app. Hold a contactless card over the card reader on the gate, and tap the same card again when you exit.
| City | Cards | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, UnionPay | All 29 lines and 523 stations, including both airport express lines and Suburban Line S2 |
| Shanghai | Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, UnionPay | Metro gates ("Tap to Ride"). Your card needs enough balance and must allow small contactless payments without a PIN |
| Guangzhou | Overseas Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB | All stations, since October 12, 2025 |
| Shenzhen | Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, including cards in mobile wallets | All 17 lines and 432 stations, but only at gates showing the card logos (a trial since June 30, 2026; all gates are due by the end of 2026) |
Other cities: check for card logos on the gates before you rely on it. Your bank may also charge a foreign transaction fee on each ride, so check with your bank before you travel.
Option 2: Alipay ride code, step by step
Open Alipay and go to Transport (出行), or search for "ride code" (乘车码).
Choose the city you're in.
Activate the ride code: agree to the service terms and choose how to pay. If you have an international Alipay account, it may ask you to verify your passport first. Follow its prompts.
At the gate, hold the ride code over the scanner. Scan it again when you exit.
The fare is charged to your linked payment method after you exit.
Ride code vs payment code: shops scan your payment code (付款码); metro gates need the ride code (乘车码). They are different QR codes, and the gate reads the ride code.
Set this up before you fly, while you have time to sort out card linking: Alipay for foreigners.
At the gate
Exit the same way you entered: if you scanned in with the ride code, scan out with it; if you tapped in with a card, tap out with the same card. The fare is calculated when you exit.
Have the code open before you reach the gate, so you're not holding up the line.
If the gate won't read your code or card, don't keep trying. Use the staffed gate or the service center.
Other options: tickets, passes and WeChat
Single-journey tickets: ticket machines have an English option. In Shanghai, station service centers also sell tickets by card, including overseas cards.
Shanghai passes: a one-day pass costs 18 yuan and a three-day pass 45 yuan, for unlimited rides.
WeChat: WeChat also has ride codes, and Shanghai's metro accepts both Alipay and WeChat.
More on tickets, gates and transfers: China metro guide. To find the right station entrance and exit, see how to use Amap in English.
FAQ
Can I use my Visa or Mastercard on the metro in China?
Yes in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, by tapping a contactless card at the gate. In Shenzhen, use gates showing the card logo. In other cities, check the gates first.
Can I use Apple Pay or Google Pay?
Shenzhen Metro says cards in mobile wallets work at its card-enabled gates. Elsewhere, the physical card is the safer bet.
Is the Alipay ride code the same as the payment QR?
No. Shops scan your payment code; metro gates need the ride code.
Do I need a different code in each city?
In Alipay you choose the city first, so check it's set to the city you're in before you reach the gate.
What if the gate won't read my code or card?
Don't keep scanning. Go to the staffed gate or the service center, or buy a single-journey ticket.
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Official or primary sources to verify
- Beijing government — Beijing Subway supports tap-and-go with the 5 most used overseas cards (June 2025)
- Shanghai government — metro payment and ticket choices (updated June 2026)
- Guangzhou Metro accepts foreign bank cards for tap-to-ride payment (October 2025)
- Shenzhen government — Shenzhen Metro accepts foreign bank cards (July 2026)
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