Quick answer
Can I still use cash in China?
Yes — cash (RMB) is legal tender and merchants are required to accept it, so bring some for small vendors, taxis and backup. But daily life runs on Alipay and WeChat Pay: street stalls, subways and even temples take QR payments. Set up at least one mobile wallet before you fly; treat cash as your safety net, not your plan A.
Fact-checked 2026-10-09
Where cash still works fine
- Taxis and small restaurants — cash is universally accepted, and drivers appreciate exact change.
- As backup everywhere — if your phone dies or your card binding fails, cash keeps you moving.
- ATMs — Bank of China, ICBC and China Construction Bank ATMs accept foreign cards (look for Plus/Cirrus/UnionPay logos). Withdraw in city centers, not at the airport where rates are worse.
Where you'll struggle without mobile pay
- Subway ticket machines and bike shares — many only take QR payment or transit cards topped up by phone.
- Small street stalls — technically required to accept cash, but some genuinely have no change for a ¥100 note.
- Splitting bills and tipping guides — red packets and transfers all happen inside WeChat/Alipay.
The 30-second setup that solves 90% of this
Before departure: install Alipay, bind your foreign Visa/Mastercard, and complete identity verification. That single step covers subways, stalls, DiDi and most shops. Our foreign-card payment guide walks through the failure cases.
How much cash to bring
For a two-week trip, ¥1,000–2,000 in cash is a comfortable buffer — mostly ¥100 and ¥50 notes, plus some ¥20s and ¥10s for stalls. You'll likely come home with most of it. Exchange before you fly or at a downtown bank; hotel front desks also exchange at fair rates.
Watch for counterfeits in informal exchange
Only exchange at banks, airports or hotels. Street money-changers offering 'great rates' are a classic scam — and counterfeit ¥100 notes do circulate.
Go deeper
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