Overview
If you’re planning a trip to China — whether for holiday, business, or visiting friends and family — it’s important to know that paying for things works a little differently there. While cash payments still exist, everyday life in China runs almost entirely on QR-code online mobile payments, primarily through Alipay and WeChat Pay.
When you use your Singapore-issued card, you’ll typically incur the bank’s foreign transaction fee of approximately 3%-3.25%. In addition, you also have to pay 3% fee on Alipay/WeChat pay for transactions above 200RMB. As a result, it is important to consider the most cost-effective methods for payments for your China spending.
Tips to Choosing the Right Credit Card for Your Trip:
- Alipay and WeChat Pay transactions are typically coded as online foreign transactions, with MCCs differing by merchant. Since MCCs are unpredictable, it’s best to use a broad-based card that earns rewards on most online spending and has low or zero FX fees.
- Prioritize cards with low or no foreign transaction fees unless there is extra value to pay foreign transaction fees (example: using Citi Rewards + Amaze is not a bad option if you are willing to pay 2% fee for 4 miles per dollar)
- Ensure your cards are successfully linked and verified in Alipay and/or WeChat Pay 1 week to 1 month before arriving in China to avoid last-minute authentication issues.
Tips when spending in China:
- Transactions under RMB200 usually avoid Alipay’s extra fee
- Alipay charges a 3% foreign currency conversion fee when you use a Singapore-issued credit or debit card to pay in China, applied on the transaction amount once it’s converted from RMB to your card’s currency. However, transactions under RMB200 usually avoid this extra fee, so you only pay the converted amount without the surcharge. This fee essentially covers the cost of cross-border payments, and knowing the RMB200 threshold can help you minimize unnecessary charges when using Alipay for small purchases.
- However, you can ask the merchant if you can pay in tranches of RMB200. Merchants are usually fine with this from my experience, but do note that some users have reported their Alipay accounts being temporarily blocked after doing so. Personally, I haven’t run into any issues — but to be safe, it’s best to activate both WeChat Pay and Alipay in advance if you plan to use this method.
- Note that you will not be able to make payments to a personal Mainland China based Alipay/Wechat Pay account so bring along some cash for street vendor payments just in case.
Best Cards for AliPay and WeChat Pay:
As a general rule, payments made through Alipay and WeChat Pay are treated as online transactions, even when used in physical stores via QR codes. Therefore, it’s best to link a card that earns rewards on online spend and/or transactions with a broad-based MCC coverage.
Cashback Cards:
Cards | Earn Rate | Minimum Spend & Cap | Notes |
DCS Flex | 8% cash rebates | Minimum spend of S$600; capped at S$25 per category, total S$100 for all 4 categories | subject to 3.25% fx fee |
Mari Credit Card | 3%* + 1.5% cashback | Minimum spend of S$1,000; capped at S$1,500 spend per month Bonus Cashback is capped at S$22.50 per month | *3% cashback offsets the typical 3% fx fees promotional rate for foreign currency spend is only until 31 December 2025 |
Trust Cashback Card | 1% unlimited cashback | No minimum spend and cap | No fx fees |
DCS Flex Card
Earn up to 8% cash rebates (best value), 2.4 miles per dollar, or 8% investment credits
Mari Credit Card
Use Code: 2OJA50ZV
Earn 1.5% Unlimited Shopee Coins with Mari Credit Card Instant Checkout and 1.5% Unlimited Cashback on eligible card spend
Trust Cashback Card
Use code: FYS31XY4
Earn 1% unlimited cashback on foreign currency spend
Miles Cards:
Cards | Earn Rate | Minimum Spend & Cap | Notes |
Citi Rewards + Amaze | 4 miles per dollar | No minimum spend; capped at S$1,000 per statement month | 2% fee via amaze. Excludes Travel Related Payments |
DBS Woman’s World Card | 4 miles per dollar | No minimum spend; Capped at S$1,000 spending per calendar month | subject to 3.25% fx fee, use up to spending cap |
UOB Visa Signature | 4 miles per dollar | Minimum spend of S$1,000; capped at S$1,200 per statement month | subject to 3.25% fx fee, use up to spending cap |
Maybank World Mastercard | 3.2 miles per dollar 2.8 miles per dollar | Minimum spend of S$4,000 Minimum spend of S$800 No cap | subject to 3.25% fx fee, use up to spending cap |
Citi Rewards Card
Earn 4 miles per dollar on online spend and selected retail
Instarem Amaze
Use Code: Ac6aso
Instarem Amaze card is a payment processor in the form of a physical card that helps you consolidate multiple cards
UOB Visa Signature Card
Earn 4 miles per dollar on Overseas, Petrol, and Contactless Transactions (including SimplyGo)
Maybank World Mastercard
Earn 4 miles per dollar on selected petrol stations islandwide and up to 3.2 miles per dollar on foreign currency spend
Alternative: If You Prefer Using a Debit Card
The DBS UnionPay Platinum Debit Card is a solid option for those who prefer a debit card for WeChat Pay and Alipay transactions. You can enjoy a permanent 5% cashback, with an additional 3% promotional cashback until 31 March 2026, bringing total savings to 8% on eligible spend. To qualify, a minimum monthly spend of S$400 is required, with cashback capped at S$20 per calendar month. On top of that, DBS waives the 3% transaction fee for transactions above RMB200 when the card is linked to WeChat Pay or Alipay, making it especially useful for China travel.
Conclusion:
When paying via Alipay or WeChat Pay in China, it is important to set up your wallet beforehand, apply for the right card based on your needs, and spend within the card’s limit to maximise your rewards.
