How international travelers, nomads & expats can pay with QR codes in China
China is the most cashless place you will ever visit: the noodle shop in Chengdu, the metro kiosk in Shanghai and the tea house in Beijing all expect a phone, not a card. Moreta Pay pays WeChat Pay QR codes from a wallet you fund at home, so you are not the visitor holding up the queue.
WeChat Pay
Costs, limits and tips
Paying in China
Guide updated
What it costs
- Transaction fee
- 1.5%
- Exchange rate today
- 1 USD = 6.68 CNYLive rate, updated recently
The app always shows the live rate and the exact cost before you pay.
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.
Why QR code is the best way to pay in China
QR codes are how people pay in China: hold up a phone, scan the code on the counter, done. Chinese merchants pay and get paid by QR almost exclusively. Many street vendors and small restaurants have no card machine and no change. WeChat Pay codes are on every counter, window and delivery bike, and scanning them is how the country runs.
Moreta gives you the same thing as a visitor. A scan is contactless, so there is no card to hand over and no cash to carry, and each payment costs one flat fee at the live rate instead of a foreign transaction fee and a marked-up rate from your bank at home.
The problem with paying abroad as a tourist, expat or nomad
Paying abroad with the card in your wallet is easy until it is not. Your bank may block the first charge as suspicious. When it goes through, most cards add a foreign transaction fee and convert at a rate of their choosing, and some terminals offer to charge you in your own currency at a worse one.
Cash is no better. ATMs stack your bank's withdrawal fee, the operator's fee and a poor rate, and you still end up carrying more Chinese yuan than you need and changing the rest back at the airport. Paying by QR from a wallet you fund yourself skips all of it: one fee, the live rate and no plastic.
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 Moreta Pay works
Moreta is a wallet on your phone that pays WeChat Pay codes as if a local had scanned them. Set it up once, at home or on the plane, and it is ready before you land in China.
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
Why Moreta Pay is better than alternatives
No local bank account required
Pay from the bank or card you already have. Nothing to open, nothing to close when you leave.
Seamless integration with WeChat Pay
WeChat Pay is one of China's two everyday payment networks and its codes are shown almost everywhere. Moreta pays WeChat Pay merchant codes directly, showing the yuan amount and your own currency before you slide, with no Chinese bank account or ID number needed.
Designed for international travelers, expats & nomads
A two-week trip or a year abroad, it works the same, and what you do not spend stays for the next country.
Several accepted payment types
Top up by bank transfer in US dollars, euros, pounds, Canadian or Australian dollars, or with a card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Crypto deposits can't be spent in China.
Lower fees compared to cash or card alternatives
One flat fee per payment, shown before you confirm. No ATM fees, and most banks add no foreign transaction fee.
Instant, contactless QR payments
Scan, check, slide. Nothing to hand over, and the merchant is paid in seconds.
Real exchange rates
Every payment converts to Chinese yuan at the live rate at the moment you pay.
See today's rate
Frequently asked questions
What travellers ask before paying by QR in China.
Showing 6 of 9 questions
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More ways to pay
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, 
Cambodia, 
the Philippines, 
Laos, 
Malaysia, 
South Korea, 
Mongolia, and 5 more countries