hmm, recently just made two trips to Beijing and Guangzhou, shenzhen and HK.
1) better use Alipay international app, attach at least 2 CC to it incase one fails at random (rarely).
I feel alipay more convenient (all-in-one, transportation, payment, etc.).
I brought zero cash on both times, never needed them and if you bring large domination of cash, they also might not have change to give you, everything cashless

2) Amap is a good alternative also (can hail taxi, DiDi directly from app..probably baidu map can do it too)
if u plan to use the bicycle, having both meituan app and alipay would basically have u covered. for food, dianping

3) unless u need a mifi, just buy data e-sim more than enough. I tried airalo when i was in beijing and it was shit and unstable. so far I used 3HK data e-sim with china roaming, stable and fast connection, can access all website too

4) alipay app, set location to beijing, click the transport menu, and apply for a free metro card (aka QR code)

more details can check out my recent beijing and guangzhou/shenzhen thread
e.g.: https://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopic=5456981&hl=

Apple Maps are useless- use the Amap/GaoDe app, its phenomenal
In principle yes, but like all countries, not all hotels are places that tourists would like to stay in,(prices excepted),  as features and services are different from the international visitor expectations

Also to OP, be aware that China is a vast country and the seasons and weather can vary greatly from city to city. After October the North will get very cold very quickly so dress and plan accordingly.

nah, what I meant was merchant have to pay a surcharge to Alipay when the received transaction is more than a certain amount.
I just want to exchange about 1000 RMB in Alipay to cash because I realized when I go to HK, I need use cash rmb to exchange it to HKD for emergency since HK partly still use cash.
I mainly use CC and Octopus card topped up by CC in HK, HKD in cash just for odd cases where taxi or street store don't take any card.

I believe TnG also have some fees? maybe much lower, but yea it'll be more convenient for your side for big item usage.
if small transaction (<100rmb), alipay just close two eyes for max conveniences

Eh no, I already have RMB in my Alipay itself, so it was the merchant request that I make it smaller than 200RMB/transaction to avoid fees on the receiving end.

It’s similar if you want to use credit card to do the same thing, you want to avoid the 3% from Alipay sidle for more than 200RMB/transaction.

Er, just use data roaming or HK e-sim with data roaming, no need switch back n forth. Even for hotel WiFi, most likely u will be using your mobile data also due to the block sites/apps.

I used Wise to convert JPY to RMB, direct “bank in” Alipay. But the issue is this direct bank in only works for Alipay acc that are actual China resident/citizen.
So I sent it to my China friends instead and they sent the RMB back to my acc
I guess some of the cheapest rate but need to have China contact that is willing to do such thing.

Maybe can link Wise card to Alipay? Not sure how they charge for the usage.

Had no problem with HK eSIM, line was great, internet speed was fast. I used the one from 3HK during my recent trip, 15GB ones

If you can’t read or speak basic standard 3 Chinese words, you’re really gonna suffer in China.

Same could be said in Japan but at least you can google your way out of situations.

In China, you’re at the mercy of Alipay (thank god they have English), Baidu/Gaode maps and Baidu itself for search engine. You can access Bing in China but results return are often less reliable.

No need for cash as I would say 98% of merchants accept WeChatPay and/or Alipay. TNG ewallet itself will be able to cover and pay 90% of QRs in China successfully. The remaining 10%, they are not part of Alipay+ network and require the Alipay app to scan and pay.

TNG ewallet will utilize Alipay conversion rates while Alipay app will utilize your credit card issuing bank rates on top of 3% charges if >¥200.

All the best. Remember to bring your passport wherever you go in China. Most places there need 验证 process.

Yes. Guess abit here and there. Don’t be scared on day 1 arrival where you can’t understand their mandarin accent. You’ll acclimatize to their accent with time and start to understand soon enough.

Google wont load the moment you land on China soil.

Recommended to ensure your TNG ewallet has sufficient balance to avoid issues during payment in front of the cashier and cause a backlog queue to form behind you. If you use roaming, due to the network round trip latency, TNG ewallet payment is not as snappy fast as compared when you’re making payment here in MY. Those loading often takes alittle longer.

I'm not sure about Touch n Go, but the best options would be Alipay or WeChat Pay.

1a. Alipay has two versions: the international version (which can link to your local credit card but incurs a 3% fee for transactions over RMB200) and the regular Alipay (which cannot link to a local credit card; the only way to top up is to find a China's friend in Malaysia who can transfer funds to your Alipay account in RMB).

1b. WeChat Pay is also quite handy, as some taxi drivers prefer WeChat over Alipay. The same process applies—finding a China's friend in Malaysia to transfer funds directly.

2. For maps, Baidu is a good option or you could use Gaode.

3. For internet access, it's best to sign up for roaming through your local telco. One of the benefits is that you don't need to install an extra VPN to access services like Facebook.

3a. If you're traveling for more than a week, it's better to get a local SIM card. It's a seamless process, and the SIM card can be used for many things, such as food delivery, buying tickets, and getting discounts. The data packages are quite affordable. Make sure to get a SIM that supports SMS, as you might need it to register on certain websites (e.g., for drones).

During my visit to China, I'm using the Digi eSIM roaming package for RM98, which provides 14 days of unlimited data. I also signed up for a China Telecom physical SIM card, which costs RM25 and is valid for a month.

You can switch between both lines on your phone. However, keep in mind that you need to go to a major telco store to sign up, as not all retailers can register a travel SIM for tourists (remember to bring your passport).

Once you get used to eSIM, they are convenient. But not all phone support eSIM. iphone can have 2 eSIM active. With Android, only 1 eSIM is active and the other have to be physical SIM (this tends to be your home telco SIM).

With physical SIM, you have to go collect it or have it send by post to you. Can take some time, may be an hours or a few days. Then you have to insert it into phone physically.

With eSIM, code can be delivered to you via email. Or if you buy it using an apps, code is there in the apps right away. Follow the instruction and you are good to go in minutes.

From my experience, beside price/package, you want to get it from a vendor who response quickly to your request via apps Chat or Whatsapp. No point you having technical problem and you ask a question, it takes them a few hours to response. Right?

Im in China rn.

Using TnG (change country setting to Mainland China) and wallah, you get TnG partnered with Alipay.
No hassle in paying. Everything is scan scan scan, weixin/wechat, Alipay.

I still convert some cash tho, in case the line breakdown & pay hotel deposit.

Signed up for a China Telecom physical SIM card, which costs RM25 and is valid for a month.

Just to add. You may walk in to any China Telecom branch , request for this, there will be a number of documentations for them to verify, for you to sign off, mostly like registering for a sim.

As already mentioned a couple of times, having a local China sim and phone number will be critical for arranging booking and appointments for a lot of tourist attractions , and most triple A attractions in large cities such as Beijing require pre-booking, and this local China number helps immensely.

That said, if you don't speak or understand Mandarin, then it will be immensely difficult for you even if your have a local China number.

If you can't speak the language , just prearrange with the many facilitators that you may find online, before you arrive in China  A note of caution, you will need to sieve through and determine which is legit, reputable, reliable compared to those that are fraudulent. And be prepared to pay an add on premium for the facilitating service, but that's a given since you do not speak the language

International travel to China is a very new thing for China,

just 10 years ago, you won't be able to use Alipay even if your have a International Alipay account used to make purchase on Taobao I  Malaysia,

just a year ago, there were many teething issues even with Alipay+ or Duitnow. Now it's getting much better by the day.

P.S. Although TnG have this Alipay+ arrangement for crossborder qrpay in China, I distinctly recall it doesn't work when you are in Malaysia (using TnG app to scan a Alipay code while physically in Malaysia), maybe this has changed. Correct me if Imy experience in January has changed now in September.

WeChat MY is gone.
But you can sign up WeChat China and verify passport, and it is good to go.

Personally, I think WeChat is bigger and better than Alipay.

Hi all, i would also like to visit china one day for at least 2 weeks, but im scared with many things blocked, i cannot reply emails etc.

can i check if i use roaming sim, can i bypass those restriction? if not, how do i bypass those restrictions?

thanks.

Use alipay can already. Im currently in china and going back today. No issue with alipay at all. Can even take their subway using alipay to scan

Anything below RMB200 will not incur 3% charge. But they will charge RMB to the card and follows the card rate.
I would suggest TnG Visa card as they have 1% cashback program at the moment.