Quick Summary: Foreigners can ride almost every major Chinese metro with an Alipay QR code — no physical transit card and no Chinese bank account needed. Set up Alipay with your passport and an international card once, open the Transit (出行/乘车码) section, select your city, and scan at the gates. The same Alipay app covers bike share (Hellobike) in most cities. A few city-specific codes may ask for extras during activation — workarounds below. Fares stay ¥2–10 per ride. Information verified September 2026.
First: “Metro Card” Means Two Different Things
Searches for “alipay metro card” mix two unrelated products, and half the confusion online comes from guides answering the wrong one:
- The QR ride code (乘车码) — a digital ticket in your Alipay app that you scan at metro gates. This is what almost everyone actually wants, and it is what this guide covers.
- The physical rechargeable transit card (交通卡) — a tap-to-ride card you top up at stations. You do not need one. If you specifically want a physical card, machines at every station take Alipay.
Everything below is about the QR code.
Before You Start: 5-Minute Prerequisites
Your Alipay account needs three things ready — if you have already done the full Alipay setup, skip to the next section:
- Alipay installed and registered with your international phone number (no Chinese number required)
- Passport identity verification completed (upload the photo page — this unlocks transit and higher payment limits)
- A payment method linked — international Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Amex and other foreign cards are supported; metro fares deduct automatically per ride, so there is nothing to “top up”
Activating the Metro Ride Code
The general path (works in most cities):
- Open Alipay → tap Transit / 出行 on the home screen (or search 乘车码)
- Select your city — the app detects it if you are in China; abroad, pick the city manually
- Tap activate / 开通 and confirm the payment method when asked
- A city QR code appears — screenshot-proof and refreshes automatically
- Scan at the entry gates and again at the exit gates; the fare deducts automatically
Per-city notes for the biggest systems:
| City | Ride code entry in Alipay | Notes for foreigners |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Transit tab → Beijing rail code (Beijing rail transit) | Beijing’s official guidance for foreigners covers QR codes and transport cards; gates are clearly marked |
| Shanghai | Transit tab → Shanghai code; the official Metro Daidu Hui (Metro大都会) app also links Alipay | One of the most foreigner-friendly systems |
| Guangzhou / Shenzhen | Transit tab → city code (Yangchengtong / Shenzhentong backed) | Works like the general path |
| Wuhan | Transit tab → Wuhan code, or search the Wuhan Metro mini program | Identical flow |
If activation asks for something you don’t have: a minority of city-specific codes may request a Chinese phone number or extra verification during activation. Workarounds, in order: (1) use the general Alipay Transit tab code rather than the city’s standalone mini program; (2) check whether your city’s official metro app accepts international cards (Shanghai’s and Beijing’s do); (3) fall back to the single-journey QR ticket in Alipay or the ticket machines, which take Alipay at all modern stations. For the city-by-city basics — fares, lines, signage — see our China metro guide.
Bike Share Through Alipay
Alipay’s transit section also unlocks Hellobike (HelloRide), the dockless bike service integrated into Alipay:
- In Alipay, search HelloRide or open the Transit tab → Bike
- Scan the QR code on any bike to unlock; payment deducts from your linked card
- Lock the bike manually at any legal parking spot to end the ride
Hellobike is the easiest option for foreigners because the whole flow lives inside Alipay in English. Meituan’s bikes (orange) require the separate Meituan app — see our Meituan guide if you already use it for food delivery. Typical pricing is around ¥1.5–2 per 30 minutes, charged automatically.
Troubleshooting
- “Activation failed” / real-name error → your passport verification is incomplete. Go to Me → account/profile → identity verification and complete it, then retry.
- QR won’t scan at the gate → brightness up, QR size up, align with the scanner below the gate screen. If the code has expired (it refreshes periodically), tap refresh.
- Charged twice or gate didn’t open → wait one stop; transit systems reconcile automatically. Persistent double charges show in Alipay → Bills with a transit-support entry.
- Riding multiple metros in one trip (intercity transfer) → each city’s system charges separately; exit and re-enter with the correct city’s code.
FAQ
Do I need a Chinese bank account or transit card for the metro? No. Alipay with a linked international card covers metro rides in all major Chinese cities. The physical transit card is optional.
Does the Alipay metro QR work offline? You need connectivity to open or refresh the code. If you are underground without signal, load the code before descending — an open, unexpired QR usually scans fine. Travelers struggling with connectivity should see our eSIM guide.
Can I use one Alipay ride code in multiple cities? The Transit tab switches cities, but each city’s code is activated separately the first time. Activation takes under a minute per city.
Can foreigners use Alipay for bike share? Yes — Hellobike inside Alipay is the standard route, payable with your linked international card.
Do I still need a physical 交通卡? Only if you prefer it. Machines at stations sell and recharge them, and they work without your phone — some long-term residents carry one as backup.
What about the metro in smaller cities? The general Alipay Transit path covers most systems with QR gates. In cities where it fails, every station has ticket machines and staff — cash-using stations are increasingly rare, so keep Alipay working as your baseline (see payment troubleshooting).
Information verified September 2026. City transit systems update their activation flows without notice — Beijing’s official English portal for foreign visitors documents the current card and code options.
Related: China Metro Guide for Foreigners · How to Pay in China · Chinese Internet Survival Guide