Setting up payments is one of the biggest sources of uncertainty for first-time visitors to China.
Even after successfully linking an international card to Alipay (支付宝, Zhīfùbǎo), travelers often wonder: How do I actually know I’ve done everything correctly?
Then Hong Kong adds another layer of confusion. Is AlipayHK a separate app? Does a tourist need it? And if you’re traveling with a Wise card, can you simply use that card to withdraw RMB in mainland China and HKD in Hong Kong?
One Western traveler preparing for a China and Hong Kong trip had all three questions.
We put them to the ChinaTravelBUG AI Travel Planner.
The Traveler’s Question
This question was shared publicly by a Western traveler in a Facebook China travel community and is reproduced here for travel-planning discussion.
How do I know if I have set up Alipay correctly?
The process was a bit odd for me, but I think I did everything asked of me.
Am I also correct in understanding that there is also a different Alipay for Hong Kong that I’ll need to set up?
I’ve linked my Wise Travel money card to the Alipay app as that’s where all of my currency is sitting.
Can I use my Wise card to withdraw cash in China and Hong Kong? I know I can in Japan if I select “credit” and pay a small fee (which I don’t mind. It is what it is).
AI Travel Planner Answers
Yes — the post is mixing together a few different things, but the good news is that the traveler probably does not need a complicated payment setup.
- How do I know Alipay is set up correctly?
For mainland China, I’d check three things before departure:
You can log into the main Alipay app normally.
Your passport/identity verification has been completed if the app requests it.
Your Wise card appears as a linked payment card.
Then make a small payment after arriving rather than worrying about whether there is some special “setup complete” screen. Foreign visitors can use international payment cards with China’s mobile-payment ecosystem, and carrying some RMB cash as backup is still sensible. - Do you need a different Alipay for Hong Kong?
There is a separate product called AlipayHK, but that doesn’t mean an overseas tourist needs to set it up.
AlipayHK is primarily a Hong Kong wallet, designed around Hong Kong users, HKD and Hong Kong-issued funding methods. It can also be used for cross-border payments in mainland China.
So if you’re an international visitor who has already set up the regular Alipay app for mainland China, I wouldn’t create an AlipayHK account simply because you’re visiting Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, your Wise card/contactless payment and some HKD cash are useful alternatives. - Can you withdraw cash with Wise in China and Hong Kong?
Yes, generally. Wise says its card can be used at compatible ATMs internationally. In mainland China, official guidance confirms that overseas cards can withdraw RMB from ATMs displaying the corresponding international card-network logo.
One correction to the Facebook post: don’t automatically choose “credit.” Wise says the Wise card is a debit card, so normally choose debit when the ATM offers that option.
And if the ATM offers to convert the withdrawal into your home currency, decline that conversion and withdraw in the local currency — CNY/RMB in mainland China and HKD in Hong Kong. Let Wise perform the currency conversion instead.
Wise’s ATM allowances and fees depend on where your particular Wise card was issued, so check the Wise app under Cards → spending/account limits → ATM fees before traveling.
My practical setup would therefore be: Alipay + linked Wise card for mainland China, physical Wise card as backup, and a modest amount of RMB cash. For Hong Kong, use the Wise card/contactless plus some HKD cash rather than assuming you need AlipayHK.
Further Reading
Can Foreign Tourists Use Alipay in China?
Read the article: https://chinatravelbug.com/can-foreign-tourists-use-alipay-in-china/
This goes through the Alipay question specifically from the perspective of an overseas visitor.
ChinaTravelBUG Verification Note
Last verified: August 13, 2026
Payments are a consequential and fast-changing part of traveling in China, so ChinaTravelBUG separately checks important payment claims appearing in AI Travel Planner Answers.
Can International Visitors Link Foreign Cards to Alipay?
Yes. China’s official guidance for international visitors supports linking eligible overseas bank cards to mobile-payment services including Alipay.
The regular Alipay app used in mainland China can therefore be useful to international travelers without requiring them to open a mainland Chinese bank account simply to make everyday merchant payments.
A linked card appearing successfully in the app is a useful indication that setup has progressed correctly, but travelers should still follow any identity-verification instructions shown for their individual account.
Do Tourists Need AlipayHK Just Because They’re Visiting Hong Kong?
No.
AlipayHK is a separate Hong Kong electronic wallet. Its existence does not mean every overseas traveler entering Hong Kong needs to open an AlipayHK account.
Hong Kong also has a different everyday payment environment from mainland China. International bank cards and contactless payments are widely useful, alongside cash and local payment systems.
So an international traveler who has established their mainland-China payment setup should not automatically assume they must duplicate it with an AlipayHK account for a short visit to Hong Kong.
Can You Withdraw Cash With a Wise Card?
Wise states that its card can generally be used at ATMs that support the card’s network.
For mainland China, official guidance for overseas visitors confirms that RMB cash can be withdrawn using overseas bank cards at ATMs displaying the corresponding international card-network logo.
Individual ATM operators may impose their own restrictions or charges, and not every ATM will necessarily accept every overseas card.
The same principle applies in Hong Kong: travelers should use a compatible ATM and check any fees displayed before confirming the transaction.
Wise Is a Debit Card
The traveler’s comment about selecting “credit” deserves particular attention.
Wise identifies the Wise card as a debit card. Where an ATM asks users to select an account/card type and offers a suitable debit option, Wise’s guidance is generally to select debit.
ATM interfaces differ between countries and operators, however, so travelers should follow current Wise instructions rather than assuming the same selection they use in Japan will necessarily apply in mainland China or Hong Kong.
Watch Out for ATM Currency Conversion
If an ATM asks whether you want the machine to convert your withdrawal into your home currency, pay attention.
Wise recommends declining the ATM’s conversion and choosing the local currency instead:
Mainland China → CNY/RMB (人民币, rénmínbì)
Hong Kong → HKD
This allows Wise to perform the currency conversion rather than accepting the ATM operator’s exchange rate.
Check Your Own Wise ATM Allowance
There isn’t one Wise ATM fee or free-withdrawal allowance that applies to every traveler worldwide.
Wise’s ATM allowances and charges depend on factors including where the card was issued.
Before departure, check the current ATM fee and withdrawal information associated with your own Wise account rather than relying on figures quoted by another traveler online.
A Note About This AI Travel Planner Answer
This answer is shown as originally generated, without editorial rewriting.
Payment arrangements can change, particularly Alipay identity verification, international-card support, AlipayHK functionality, Wise ATM allowances, ATM fees and overseas-card acceptance.
Always check the current information provided by Alipay, Wise and the relevant ATM or financial institution before relying on a particular payment or withdrawal method.
Ask the ChinaTravelBUG AI Travel Planner — FREE
Wondering whether you’ve actually set up Alipay correctly, whether you need another payment app for Hong Kong, or what happens when you put your Wise card into a Chinese ATM?
Ask the FREE ChinaTravelBUG AI-assisted Travel Planner.
You don’t need to ask a perfectly organized question. Tell it what’s confusing you—even if, like this traveler, you’re actually dealing with three different questions at once.
The Planner can help you work through payments, apps, trains, DiDi, attraction reservations and other practical China travel problems one decision at a time.
And when those individual decisions start becoming a real trip, it can help turn the conversation into a personalized, realistic day-by-day China itinerary.
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