If you’re about to fly to China for travel or business, here’s a list of apps we strongly recommend downloading and setting up beforeyou depart—especially payment apps, as setting them up after arrival can be tricky:
📲 Essential App List:
- Alipay One of the main payment methods in China. Also useful for taking buses, subways, and scanning QR codes at restaurants.
- WeChat Pay China’s most popular social app, which also supports payments and transfers.
- DiDi Essential for ride-hailing (can also be accessed directly within the Alipay app).
- Amap (Gaode Map) A highly practical Chinese navigation app that supports subway/bus route planning. Pro tip: Save all the attractions you plan to visit in advance 📍
- Meituan Your go-to for food delivery, group buying, and more!
- Dianping Super convenient for finding restaurants, reading reviews, and making reservations— Think of it as a combo of Google Maps + Burpple.
💡 Pre-Departure Tips: Prioritize Payment App Setup!
For Alipay and WeChat Pay, we recommend binding your bank card beforeyou leave. The process is simple and supports Visa/Mastercard debit or credit cards.
🔸 Friendly Reminder:
After binding your card to Alipay, you can only test if payments work once you’re physically in China.
But if you complete the setup in advance, you’ll be ready to pay as soon as you arrive!
🇨🇳 Hope you have a fantastic time in China!
