Can you use cash and foreign cards in China?
Yes. Cash is legal tender and, since 1 February 2026, shops and service providers in China can no longer refuse it, and your foreign debit card still works in Chinese ATMs — capped at 3,000 yuan per withdrawal. Here is what each route actually costs you.
Cash: the rules changed on 1 February 2026
The People's Bank of China, the National Development and Reform Commission and the financial regulator issued the RMB Cash Receipt and Payment Service Provisions (公告〔2025〕第29号), which took effect on 1 February 2026. Under it, any business collecting payment by hand, serving customers face to face, or taking online bookings settled in person must accept cash and keep enough change. Unmanned kiosks and machines have to display how you can pay cash and a phone number to call. Nobody may charge you a fee for handling cash instead of a QR code.
In practice, small restaurants, taxis and market stalls are the places most likely to sigh at a 100-yuan note, but they cannot legally turn you down. If someone does, keep the receipt or a photo and report it through the local government hotline or consumer protection channels.
Foreign cards at ATMs
Bank of China states a single-transaction withdrawal limit of 3,000 yuan for foreign cards in mainland China; daily and annual caps come from your own bank, not from the Chinese one. Shanghai's government payment guide gives the same 3,000-yuan figure for a standard ATM pull, and notes that every ATM and cash-recycling machine in the city accepts UnionPay cards.
- Look for Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay, JCB or American Express logos on the machine before queueing. Bank of China branches are the most reliable.
- Choose RMB as the billing currency when the screen offers you a choice. Accepting your home currency hands you a worse rate.
- If you need more than 3,000 yuan, do several withdrawals back to back. Each one may trigger a fee from your own bank.
- Tell your bank you are travelling, and carry a second card in case one is blocked.
A multi-currency account and card, like Wise, is the cheapest way to draw cash here — you hold a yuan balance and avoid your home bank's overseas debit markups. To weigh the alternatives before you fly, compare all the main payment options.
Link your Wise card to Alipay — the easiest way to pay in China
Linking a foreign card to Alipay or WeChat Pay
Both apps accept international Visa and Mastercard cards. Regulatory limits for foreign visitors are 5,000 US dollars per transaction and 50,000 US dollars a year. Both platforms charge 3% on payments above 200 yuan, so small QR payments are effectively free and large ones are not. Set the apps up before you land — verification needs a passport and a phone number that can receive an SMS.
Bringing cash in
There is no cap on foreign currency you can bring into China, but if you are carrying more than the equivalent of 5,000 US dollars, or more than 20,000 yuan, you must declare it and walk through the red channel. Undeclared excess is fined or seized.
Last checked: 2026-09-18
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