Set up Alipay before your first purchase

Register and check the essentials

The official Shanghai guide confirms overseas phone-number registration and foreign-card linking. Download the genuine app, choose a language you understand and use a phone number you can access. App menus and identity requirements may change.

Link a card and understand the two QR flows

Your card details stay inside the provider app; this portal never asks for them.

1. Follow the app’s Bank Cards or wallet flow to add an eligible card. Complete issuer authentication and any identity checks requested.
2. For a merchant QR code, scan it, check the merchant and amount, select the funding method and confirm.
3. When a cashier scans your payment code, reveal it only when you intend to pay and confirm the resulting transaction.
4. On arrival, try a modest purchase while your fallback card or cash is available.
5. Keep the transaction reference if the merchant reports a failure and verify the final status before paying again.

Useful services need their own checks

The app can contain DiDi and transport mini apps. Set the correct city and inspect each service’s own terms, language and payment options. A successful store purchase is not a guarantee that every mini app accepts the same card.