Alipay and TourCard have distinct roles in financial transactions and cater to varied user needs, particularly in China’s digital payment landscape and for travelers:
Alipay
- Usage: Primarily used by residents within China and by Chinese nationals abroad. It’s integrated into various commercial and financial ecosystems, offering a broad range of services beyond simple transactions, such as investing, insurance, and credit services. Foreign people can also use Alipay by binding overseas credit or debit card as long as it is supported by Alipay.
- Currency: Primarily deals with RMB (Chinese Yuan) and supports transactions in other currencies through its cross-border payment services.
- Top Up and withdraw: Only Chinese mainland debit cards are applicable:
Tour Card (May Not Working Now As Alipay Can Bind International Card For Payment Directly)
- Usage: Specifically designed for international tourists visiting China, it offers them a convenient way to make payments without needing to open a local bank account. It simplifies transactions for visitors in a country where digital payments are predominant.
- Currency: Allows for topping up with foreign currencies through international credit/debit cards, which then get converted to RMB for use within China.
- Warn: You can top up using your local bank card, but many users complain about not being able to receive a verification code during registration using their local mobile phone numbers; and many also report that TourCard is not working on them now (my tourcard doesn’t work for me either). If you come across this issue, just use Alipay instead of a Tour Card.
Reliable Alipay Top Up Services
Swapsy is a potential platform for Alipay topping. It offers advice on using Alipay and PayPal, focusing on topping up Alipay accounts.
It’s a platform that facilitates currency exchange between individuals and can be used to top up Alipay accounts using PayPal. It’s also crucial to stay cautious and vigilant during transactions, especially when dealing with strangers.
Some accept PayPal payments and will assist you with Alipay top up accounts. This implies that there are individuals or services available to help with such transactions, which can be incredibly useful for those who may be unfamiliar with the process or encounter difficulties.
Using Remitly To Top Up Alipay
Remitly and Wise (formerly TransferWise) are popular payment platforms in China for topping up an Alipay top up account and can be used for purchases.
On the other hand, Wise has fewer charges compared to Remitly, but there is also a need for a Chinese bank account linked to the Alipay account for it to work.
Attempting to do an Alipay top up that isn’t linked to a Chinese bank might yield unsuccessful results, and getting a refund from Remitly might be challenging.
Remitly’s ‘quick collect’ feature requires mainland passport or travel permit verification, which isn’t accessible otherwise.
Top Up Alipay Using International Bank Card
If you only want to pay for things in China, you can use Alipay to pay directly as linking your international bank card to Alipay is a viable and a simple option. We tested in person in March 2024 and it worked perfectly, even in small street grocery and printing vendors.
In case some users encountered a problem where they couldn’t select a Visa card for payment because the merchant didn’t support international bank cards. This issue appears to be specific to the merchant. Here, I binded my Revolut virtual debit card for Alipay payment and it worked perfectly even in small grocery on street.
Alipay Top Up Wallet With Crypto
Topping up your Alipay wallet with cryptocurrency directly might not be feasible due to regulatory restrictions and Alipay’s policies, which prioritize fiat currencies. Alipay, a prominent payment platform in China, complies with the country’s strict financial regulations concerning cryptocurrency transactions.
However, there are indirect methods to convert cryptocurrency into fiat currency and then use it to top up your Alipay wallet. Here’s a generalized approach to how you might proceed:
- Convert Cryptocurrency to Fiat:
Use a cryptocurrency exchange that allows you to sell your crypto for fiat currency. The choice of exchange depends on the cryptocurrency you’re holding and the fiat currency you need.
- Withdraw to Bank Account:
Once you’ve converted your cryptocurrency into fiat currency, you’ll need to withdraw it to your bank account. Make sure the exchange you’re using supports bank transfers to your country.
- Top Up Alipay Wallet:
After the fiat currency has reached your bank account, you can use Alipay’s standard methods to top up your wallet from your bank account.