Paying in China with TenPayGo
Pay at shops, restaurants, taxis, hotels, hospitals or medical companion service providers with an international bank card or Apple Pay. No Chinese phone number, no Chinese bank account.
Four steps, start to finish
About 3 minutes.
- 1Download and register
- 2Add a payment method
- 3Verify, if asked
- 4Scan the merchant's QR code and pay
Set up on your phone
- 1Step 1 · Register: search TenPayGo in the App Store or Google Play. Sign in with your email, enter the code, set a password, then draw a gesture pattern of at least 6 dots. The pattern also confirms each payment.
- 2Step 2 · Add a card: enter an international card, or turn on Apple Pay. Your bank verifies the card once. Cards issued in mainland China cannot be added.
- 3Step 3 · Ready to pay: your payment code is live. Before you confirm, read the merchant name, the amount and the fee line on screen.
Email codes reach you anywhere, but a hotel lobby at midnight is a bad place to debug a card. Install and make one small test payment at home.
Pay at the counter or online: scan the merchant's QR code
- 1Open TenPayGo
- 2Tap “Scan”
- 3Frame the green QR
- 4Confirm amount & pay
Street stalls, markets, small restaurants, taxis, temples and scenic spots — anywhere you see the green WeChat Pay code, on a counter or on screen.
Check three things: the merchant name matches the shop in front of you, the amount is right, and the fee line is what you expect. Then approve with your gesture or Face ID.
At supermarkets and hospital counters the cashier may scan your code instead — open it and confirm on your phone.
Good to know before you pay
Card and Apple Pay payments may carry an international card fee, shown before you confirm. ¥200 or less is currently fee-free.
Limits may apply per transaction, per day or per year. If you hit one, pay less or use another card.
Prices are in renminbi (¥). Your bank converts and may add its own fee.
Ask the merchant to start it. Money returns to the same card.
If something goes wrong
My card will not link
Check it carries an international network logo, overseas and online payment is enabled, it is not expired, it has enough limit, and your bank’s verification passed. Otherwise try another bank’s card.
A payment failed
Check whether you reached a limit, then retry once. If it fails again, ask the merchant to refresh the QR or use another card. Never pay twice.
Can I add a mainland card?
No — only payment methods issued outside the mainland.
Does it cost anything?
The app is free; only some payments carry a fee, always shown first.
At the counter, in 20 seconds
- See the green QR? Open TenPayGo, tap Scan, frame the code.
- Read the three lines: merchant, amount, fee. Then confirm.
- Unsure if it went through? Check Transactions before paying again.
Help. In-app: Support → Send Feedback · Email: tenpaygo_support@tencent.com · Official guide: tenpaygo.com
This guide is general information only. Screens, menus, limits and fees are set by Tencent, Ant Group and TenPayGo respectively and may change. The respective names and logos are trademarks of their owners. PandaCareVIP is a coordination service and does not collect any payment from you through these wallets.