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When something goes wrong

Foreign card declined in China? How to pay

Your foreign Visa or Mastercard is declined at a shop, restaurant or ticket machine.

Try this now

  1. Pay with Alipay or WeChat Pay instead — most places don't take foreign cards at all.
  2. At big hotels and department stores that do, ask them to try UnionPay or swipe again.
  3. Check your bank app for a fraud block and approve the transaction.
If that doesn't work: Carry ¥100–500 in cash for small vendors, markets and taxis — most will still take it when cards fail.

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Most of these go away if you set things up before you land. Get a free, personalised China readiness checklist for your trip.

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General traveller guidance — always verify time-sensitive details with official sources.