Alipay vs WeChat Pay: which do you need in Hainan?
Quick answer
Set up both. Alipay tends to work more smoothly with foreign cards and has DiDi taxis built in. WeChat is mainly for paying: some small shops only take WeChat Pay, and the Meituan food delivery mini program only takes WeChat Pay.
Alipay is better for
- Paying with a foreign card. It's usually the smoother of the two.
- Taxis: DiDi is built into Alipay, and you can switch it to English.
- Malls, restaurants and most merchant QR codes.
WeChat (and WeChat Pay) is better for
- Shops that only accept WeChat Pay.
- Food delivery through the Meituan mini program, which only takes WeChat Pay. See ordering food delivery.
Your backup plan
- A second card from a different bank.
- A few hundred yuan in cash. See getting cash.
Set up guides: Alipay · WeChat Pay · ¥1 payment test