China · Mobile wallet
Works with Moreta Pay
Pay WeChat Pay codes without a Chinese bank
Yes. Moreta Pay lets visitors pay WeChat Pay codes in China without a Chinese bank account. Add money from the bank or card you already have, scan the WeChat Pay code at the counter and slide to pay in Chinese yuan. The merchant is paid the same way as when a local scans it.
The network
What is WeChat Pay?
WeChat Pay, also called Weixin Pay, is the wallet built into Tencent’s WeChat app, launched in 2013. In China people pay by scanning a shop’s WeChat Pay QR code, or by showing their own code for the cashier to scan.
- Country
China- Currency
- Chinese yuan (CNY)
- Type
- Mobile wallet
- Run by
- Tencent
- How locals pay
- They open the WeChat Pay app and scan the code
- With Moreta
- Pay it from your Moreta balance
How to spot it
The green WeChat Pay logo (微信支付) on the counter sign, usually beside Alipay’s blue one.
Can tourists pay WeChat Pay?
WeChat Pay lets visitors link a card from home, but the link doesn’t always go through, it needs a WeChat account set up first, and card payments over 200 yuan carry a 3% fee.
Moreta closes that gap. It pays the WeChat Pay code itself, from a balance you top up with your own bank, card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, and converts at the live rate at the moment you pay. One flat fee, shown before you slide to pay.
Card or cash
- A foreign transaction fee on most cards
- Your bank's rate, or the terminal's worse one
- ATM fees from your bank and the operator
- Leftover Chinese yuan to change back
Moreta
- One flat fee, shown before you slide to pay
- The live rate at the moment you pay
- No ATM and no card to hand over
- What you do not spend stays for the next country
How to pay a WeChat Pay code
Set Moreta up once, at home or on the plane. After that, paying a WeChat Pay code in China is a scan and a slide.
01Verify your identity
Download Moreta, scan your passport and take a selfie. Verification usually takes a few minutes, and your account can move money as soon as it passes.
- 02
Load funds to your Moreta Pay wallet
Link a US bank through Plaid, or send a SEPA, Faster Payments, Interac or PayID transfer. Cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay work too. Money added with crypto can't be spent in China.
- 03
Scan QR codes at local shops & restaurants
Tap Scan and point your camera at the WeChat Pay code on the counter. Moreta reads it the way a Chinese bank app would.
- 04
Get seamless payments on the go
Check the amount in Chinese yuan, what it costs in your own currency and the fee, then slide to pay. The merchant sees the payment in their own app the moment it clears.
USD
EUR
GBP
CAD
AUD
Costs, limits and tips
Paying in China
- Transaction fee
- 1.5%per payment, at the live rateEvery fee
- Exchange rate today
- 6.64CNYfor 1 USDLive rate, updated recentlyCompare rates
The app always shows the live rate and the exact cost before you pay.
Guide updated
Before you go
- Paying in China is only available while you're physically located in China.
- Money added with crypto (USDC or USDT) can't be spent in China. Add money by bank transfer, card, Apple Pay or Google Pay for payments here.
Local tips
- Look for the green WeChat Pay mark. A code marked only for Alipay is a different network.
- Foreign cards are rarely accepted outside international hotels and big chains, so set the wallet up before you fly.
- Get an eSIM or roaming that works in China, because the app needs data at the moment you scan.
WeChat Pay questions
What visitors ask before paying WeChat Pay in China.
Showing 6 of 10 questions
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Activate your Moreta Pay account before your trip
Set up Moreta, add money and land in China ready to scan. No cash to change, no card to worry about, and one flat fee at the live rate on every payment.
Also works in 
Vietnam, 
Thailand, 
the Philippines, 
Laos, 
Malaysia, 
South Korea, 
Mongolia, and 7 more countries