Navigating Payments in China: My First 25-Day Solo Trip Experience
Embarking on my first solo adventure to China for 25 days was an incredible experience, and planning my payment methods was a key part of it. I wanted to share my journey with Alipay and Visa card usage, which proved to be surprisingly smooth and cost-effective.
Alipay vs. Direct Card Payments: What I Learned
Before my trip, I set up my two newly acquired cards, Vib and Shinhan, and linked them to my Alipay account. When making payments, I noticed a significant difference in how transactions were processed.
- When I chose to pay with my Vib card via Alipay, it would deduct funds directly in Chinese Yuan (CNY). This made it a bit unclear to me how much I was actually being charged in Vietnamese Dong (VND) until I checked my bank statement later.
- Conversely, using my Shinhan card through Alipay offered immediate clarity. The system would automatically convert the transaction amount to VND right then and there. For a recent purchase at Metro costing 3 CNY, my Shinhan card showed a deduction of 11,149 VND, which breaks down to approximately 3,716 VND per Yuan. This was incredibly affordable and felt very secure, a much better alternative to pre-loading my Alipay wallet with foreign currency.
I also discovered that sometimes, paying directly with your card can be a smart move. While shopping for gifts in Shanghai, I made a purchase exceeding 200 CNY. Initially, I worried about a potential 3% Alipay surcharge, so I opted to swipe my card directly. However, this turned out to be a costly lesson. My Vib card charged me a hefty amount, around 39xx CNY, and I realized I hadn't factored in the Vib card's own foreign transaction fees. I ended up paying a bit more than I expected that day, a lesson learned the hard way.
PS: I highly recommend getting a Shinhan card. It not only simplifies payments in China but also can make future visa applications, such as for a South Korean visa, a smoother process.
Shared by: Bình Xì Trum
