Payments in China.
A merchant’s field guide.
Wallets, card rails, cross-border settlement and regulation—explained by the business decision you actually need to make.
First, identify your payment flow.
A mainland merchant, a US store selling to Chinese consumers, and a platform paying Chinese suppliers do not have the same requirements. Avoid evaluating vendors against the wrong use case.
Accept payments inside mainland China
For locally operating merchants evaluating domestic wallets, cards and acquiring.
Local licensing, acquiring partners, CNY settlement, WeChat Pay, Alipay and UnionPay.Explore this path ↗02 / 🌐Sell to Chinese shoppers from abroad
For foreign merchants serving Chinese customers without operating a local storefront.
Cross-border wallet acceptance, payment-method reach, FX, refunds and eligibility.Explore this path ↗03 / ↗Pay suppliers or recipients in China
For marketplaces, platforms and exporters sending business funds to eligible beneficiaries.
Payout rails, supporting transaction records, purpose-of-payment rules and reconciliation.Explore this path ↗Understand the payment methods.
Payment method, payment network and PSP are different layers. Ask each provider what they actually deliver, rather than assuming one integration covers everything.
Alipay / Alipay+
Wallet & cross-border aggregationWallet acceptance inside China; Alipay+ also helps eligible international merchants reach supported wallet users.
Which Alipay product, settlement model and merchant geography does the provider actually support?
Official documentation ↗WeChat Pay
Domestic mobile wallet & cross-borderAn important payment method in mainland consumer commerce; integration and onboarding depend on merchant location and partner model.
Does the merchant need a domestic contract, an overseas acquiring partner or a specific WeChat Pay product?
Official documentation ↗UnionPay
Card scheme / QR ecosystemChina-linked card acceptance and international card ecosystem connections through acquiring relationships.
Are domestic UnionPay, international UnionPay and QR capabilities all included in this proposal?
Official documentation ↗International cards
Card network acceptanceCan matter for visitors and cross-border sales, but support and acceptance vary by context.
Which card brands and issuing countries are accepted for this merchant channel?
Official documentation ↗Bank transfers & payouts
Business payment railsImportant for supplier settlement, B2B transactions and outbound/inbound flows subject to purpose and FX requirements.
Which CNY or foreign-currency flows, beneficiary types, and supporting documents are supported?
Official documentation ↗For merchants inside China.
Start with the legal entity, the merchant category, and which licensed institution is delivering the payment service. Confirm local onboarding, acquiring, QR acceptance, bank arrangements and settlement.
Who contracts with the merchant? Who holds or settles funds? Which license or regulated partner covers the exact service?
Ask prospective providers
- Do you support my mainland legal entity and sector?
- Is WeChat Pay, Alipay and UnionPay acceptance native or through a partner?
- How are QR refunds, disputes and reconciliation handled?
- Are there merchant-onboarding restrictions or additional checks?
Reaching Chinese customers from abroad.
International wallet acceptance can help overseas merchants reduce checkout friction for eligible Chinese customers. But coverage is often constrained by seller country, industry, settlement currency and integration method.
Adyen’s own Alipay documentation says its integration is for merchants selling outside China; it does not support Alipay processing within China. Always distinguish these flows.
Review Adyen’s product scope ↗What matters
- Wallet-specific checkout and authentication experience
- Currency display, conversion rate and settlement
- Refund availability, partial refunds and time limits
- Legal entity and supported merchant category
Sending funds into China.
Cross-border payouts are their own product category. They may require the right payment purpose, trade evidence, beneficiary details and CNY versus foreign-currency route selection. Do not assume the provider that accepts a payment can also pay the beneficiary.
SAFE’s foreign-exchange guidance addresses qualified cross-border cooperation and transaction authenticity. Provider documentation then specifies which beneficiary and currency flows can actually be used.
Read SAFE’s FAQ ↗Documentation to clarify
- Beneficiary type and permitted payment purpose
- Local CNY versus SWIFT payout route
- Trade and order documentation requirements
- Payout speed, returns, FX fees and reconciliation
Know the rules behind the rails.
Use the authoritative source for each topic and confirm obligations with the regulated provider or qualified local counsel. This is a research guide, not legal advice.
People’s Bank of China
Non-bank payment institutions are subject to the State Council’s regulatory framework, effective May 1, 2024, with detailed rules issued in July 2024. Licensing and supervised activities matter when choosing an operating model.
State Council summary ↗Implementing rules ↗State Administration of Foreign Exchange
Cross-border payment services are affected by FX rules, transaction authenticity checks, trade information and whether a provider is authorized for the business flow.
SAFE FAQ ↗New trade forms circular ↗Privacy and network-data obligations
Handling payment-related customer data can trigger obligations under the Personal Information Protection Law and network-data security rules. Assess data minimization and cross-border processing with counsel.
PIPL English text ↗Network data regulation ↗A starting list of companies & networks.
These are different kinds of payment organizations, not a single ranked list. The evidence column states what public official documentation supports. No partnership, merchant approval or pricing is implied.
Alipay+
Wallet acceptance networkProvider merchant documentation ↗Evaluate for international wallet access, especially inbound tourist or cross-border acceptance.
Confirm the specific domestic or overseas use case and merchant onboarding path.
WeChat Pay
Wallet ecosystemOfficial product portal ↗Evaluate for WeChat wallet acceptance where merchant eligibility and partner integrations permit.
A domestic wallet is not a standalone global PSP; eligibility depends on product and local arrangements.
UnionPay International
Card network / payment schemeOfficial scheme website ↗Evaluate for card scheme reach and acquiring integrations involving UnionPay cards.
UnionPay is a network; merchants may still need an acquirer or processor.
Adyen
Cross-border PSPOfficial Alipay documentation ↗Evaluate to accept Alipay from Chinese shoppers buying from merchants outside China.
Adyen explicitly states its Alipay processing offering is for merchants selling outside China—not domestic Alipay processing inside China.
Airwallex
Cross-border payouts / treasuryOfficial China payout documentation ↗Evaluate eligible CNY local transfers and SWIFT payouts to mainland beneficiaries.
Published China routes have detailed transaction-purpose and documentation requirements; not a claim of universal domestic acquiring.
dLocal
Emerging-market payoutsOfficial China payout specification ↗Evaluate for documented bank-transfer or card payouts in China by business model and currency.
This documentation concerns payouts; do not assume domestic payment acceptance or unrestricted merchant onboarding.
Independent editorial shortlist based on directly linked provider documentation; not a recommendation, guarantee of availability, or paid placement.
Take this checklist to every vendor.
A comparable questionnaire is often more useful than comparing marketing claims side by side.
Primary sources and documentation.
We prioritize authorities and the vendors’ own integration documentation. Use the publication date of a regulation versus the review date of this page to identify what should be reconfirmed.
Regulations on non-bank payment institutions
State Council of China — Licensing and supervision of non-bank payment services; effective May 1, 2024.
Open official source ↗02 / Central bank / RuleImplementing rules for non-bank payment institutions
People’s Bank of China / MOFCOM — Detailed implementing rules issued July 2024; official regulatory text in Chinese.
Open official source ↗03 / FX regulator / FAQFAQ on foreign-exchange business of payment institutions
State Administration of Foreign Exchange — Guidance on qualified cross-border partnerships, documentation and FX settlement.
Open official source ↗04 / FX regulator / CircularCircular on new forms of trade
State Administration of Foreign Exchange — Cross-border e-commerce settlement and evidence requirements under relevant rules.
Open official source ↗05 / Government / Market guidanceGuide to Working and Living in China
Government of China — Supported visitor mobile payments, foreign-card binding and wallet options.
Open official source ↗06 / Government / Privacy lawPersonal Information Protection Law (English)
Supreme People’s Procuratorate — Privacy and personal-information framework relevant to payment data processing.
Open official source ↗07 / Government / Data ruleNetwork Data Security Management Regulation
State Council of China — Data handling and security considerations; effective January 1, 2025.
Open official source ↗08 / Provider / Product scopeAlipay payment-method integration reference
Adyen — Important geographic limitation: Adyen Alipay is for merchants selling outside China.
Open official source ↗09 / Provider / Payout scopeChina payout network documentation
Airwallex — Specific local and SWIFT payout flows and eligibility notes.
Open official source ↗10 / Provider / Payout scopeChina payout specification
dLocal — Beneficiary requirements, rails and supported flow distinctions.
Open official source ↗Common China payments questions.
Can a foreign merchant accept Alipay without a mainland entity?+
Some overseas merchant configurations allow Alipay acceptance through international payment partners. Product coverage and eligibility depend on where your business sells. For example, Adyen explicitly describes Alipay as available to merchants selling outside China, not for processing Alipay within China.
Do I need a separate mainland China processor to serve Chinese shoppers?+
Not necessarily if you are selling outside China. For domestic operations within mainland China, local licensing, acquiring arrangements and supported payment rails require a different evaluation. Start by defining your business location and customer flow.
Is UnionPay a payment processor?+
UnionPay is a card network and payment ecosystem. A merchant may still need an acquirer, gateway, PSP or bank relationship to accept it. Ask vendors which role they perform.
Are sending money into China and accepting payments there the same product?+
No. Cross-border payout providers document permitted currency and beneficiary flows that may be separate from merchant acceptance products. Eligibility can differ by transaction purpose and documentation.
What about Hong Kong?+
Hong Kong has its own currency and distinct financial and payment infrastructure. Use the dedicated Hong Kong guide rather than assuming mainland methods and licensing apply unchanged.