Quick Summary: Install Alipay and you’re covered: its Transit (乘车码) ride code works in nearly every major Chinese metro, activated in two minutes with a passport and international card. WeChat mini programs and official city apps (Shanghai’s Metro 大都会, Beijing’s local codes) cover the remainder. A physical transit card is optional nostalgia — you don’t need it. Verified September 2026.
This page answers “which app do I install?” — a decision view. How to ride, read maps, and transfer is the territory of the China Metro Guide; the step-by-step Alipay ride-code activation lives in our Alipay metro & bike guide.
The three-channel reality
Chinese metros accept three digital channels, and cities differ in which they prefer:
| Channel | What it is | Coverage | Setup effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alipay ride code (乘车码) | One code inside Alipay, per-city activation | Nearly every major metro | Lowest — see our activation guide |
| WeChat mini program | City metro’s program inside WeChat | Most big cities, sometimes required | Low — search “城市名+地铁” |
| Official metro app | The city operator’s own app (e.g. Metro 大都会 in Shanghai) | One city per app | Highest — a new download per city |
Foreigner-friendliness ranks the same way: Alipay is English-capable and passport-verifiable end to end; WeChat mini programs vary in language support; official apps are improving but often assume a Chinese payment setup.
The default answer: Alipay
For a trip touching two or more cities, Alipay is the one-app answer:
- Activate the ride code per city from the Transit section — Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Wuhan, Xi’an, Hangzhou and more are covered.
- Fares (¥2–10) deduct automatically from your linked international card; nothing to top up.
- The same app then covers buses and bike share in most cities.
This is why our general advice is: install Alipay before arrival, activate the code on day one, and treat everything else as plan B.
When WeChat or the official app wins
- WeChat mini program: some cities’ systems run more smoothly inside WeChat — and WeChat is the app you’ll have open anyway. Search the mini program with the city name + 地铁, activate with the same Alipay-style flow, scan at the gates.
- Official apps (Metro 大都会 in Shanghai, local apps elsewhere): worth it for long stays — they offer receipt management, trip history in local format, and sometimes discounted passes. For a one- or two-week trip, they’re extra weight.
- Physical transit card (交通卡): buy at any station service desk, ¥20 refundable deposit, top up as you go. Choose it only if your phone is dead by 4pm daily.
City quick reference
| City | Alipay ride code | WeChat mini program | Official app |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beijing | ✅ | ✅ 北京地铁 | Yitongxing (亿通行) |
| Shanghai | ✅ | ✅ 上海地铁乘车码 | Metro 大都会 |
| Guangzhou | ✅ | ✅ 广州地铁 | 官方 app per city |
| Shenzhen | ✅ | ✅ 深圳地铁 | — |
| Chengdu / Wuhan / Xi’an / Hangzhou | ✅ | ✅ per city | optional |
Treat the table as the stable pattern (all four channels exist, Alipay is universal) and let the app’s city list be the live source of truth — city-by-city integrations shift a few times a year.
The gates themselves
Look for the QR scanner panel on the gate (扫码进站 — “scan to enter”). The code refreshes automatically; a stale screenshot can be refused. Hold the phone to the scanner at entry and exit — the fare calculates on the way out. If the gate flashes red, walk to the staff booth, show the code, and they’ll wave you through or point you to assistance. No passport or ID is involved for the metro itself.
FAQ
Do I need an app for the metro in China?
You need a way to produce a QR code or buy a ticket. The simplest is Alipay’s ride code (one app, nearly all cities). Single-journey tickets from station machines and physical transit cards still work everywhere — apps just make the daily gate dance frictionless. Verified September 2026.
Does the Alipay ride code work in all Chinese cities’ metros?
Almost every major metro system is covered — Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Wuhan, Xi’an, Hangzhou and beyond. Activate per city in the Transit section; smaller cities are progressively added. If a city isn’t in the list, its WeChat mini program or station ticket machines fill the gap.
Can foreigners use Chinese official metro apps?
Increasingly yes — Shanghai’s Metro 大都会 and several city apps accept Alipay/WeChat payment and foreign passports. But each app serves one city, setup varies, and English support is uneven. For short trips, Alipay or WeChat remain the lower-friction choice; official apps pay off for long stays.
WeChat ride code vs Alipay ride code — which is better for the metro?
Both work at the same gates in most cities. Alipay is the better standalone choice for foreigners (cleaner English, transit section front and center, no extra setup beyond activation). WeChat wins when you live inside WeChat anyway or a city’s mini program handles your line’s discounts better.
Related Guides
- China Metro Guide for Foreigners — riding, transferring, etiquette, city systems
- Alipay for Metro & Bike Share — the ride-code activation walkthrough
- Alipay for Foreigners (2026) — account setup that the ride code depends on
- WeChat for Foreigners — the mini-program route
- How to Pay in China 2026 — the payment stack behind every transit QR
- DiDi Airport Pickup for Foreigners — when the metro doesn’t reach the terminal
- Luggage Storage in China — riding light between hotel and train
- Train Tickets Without a Chinese Phone Number — city-to-city by rail
- Missed Flight in China — the metro’s role in the recovery plan
- China Transportation Overview — how all the pieces fit
Information verified September 2026 against operator sites (including Shanghai Metro’s official English service site) and current app behavior. City integrations change — the transit section of your app is the live source of truth.