Payment methods by country · Payment methods
How do Chinese shoppers pay online?
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Chinese shoppers pay online mainly with two phone wallets. Alipay, which Stripe says has more than a billion active users worldwide, lets people pay on the web or in the Alipay app. WeChat Pay lives inside the WeChat app and is used by Chinese customers and travellers in businesses' apps and websites. China UnionPay is the card network; Stripe accounts in many countries can accept it, though not inside Apple Pay or Google Pay.
- Currency
- Chinese yuan (CNY)
- Wallets
- Alipay, WeChat Pay
- Card network
- China UnionPay (no wallet support on Stripe)
- Repeat billing
- Not supported for Alipay or WeChat Pay on Stripe
- PlatformDTC offers
- Cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal
What PlatformDTC does
PlatformDTC checkout does not offer Alipay or WeChat Pay today. Shoppers in China can pay by card, including UnionPay where the store's Stripe account accepts it, or by PayPal in US dollars or another of the 22 currencies PlatformDTC's PayPal button charges in (yuan is not one: PayPal takes it only on a PayPal account in China); Apple Pay and Google Pay show where the shopper's device supports them.
Who uses Alipay and WeChat Pay
Stripe describes both wallets' customers as Chinese consumers, overseas Chinese and Chinese travellers. Stripe accounts in the EU, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore and the US can accept Alipay; WeChat Pay's list is similar but adds the UK and leaves out New Zealand. Neither supports repeat billing on Stripe.
UnionPay cards
Stripe lets accounts in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, the UK, the US, Switzerland and the EEA (except Iceland) accept UnionPay. UnionPay supports 3D Secure but not wallets on Stripe. A PlatformDTC store can refuse UnionPay under its card settings.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I accept UnionPay on PlatformDTC?
- Yes, through the Stripe card form when your Stripe account country supports UnionPay. You can also switch UnionPay off.
- Will Alipay work for subscriptions?
- Not on Stripe; Alipay and WeChat Pay don't support repeat billing. PlatformDTC doesn't offer them in any case.
Sources
- Alipay payments — Stripe
- WeChat Pay payments — Stripe
- Cards: supported card brands — Stripe
- Payment method support — Stripe
Related
- Hong Kong — Cards and wallets, plus the 24/7 Faster Payment System for bank and e-wallet transfers.
- Taiwan — Cards plus local e-payment apps such as JKOPay, LINE Pay and the banks' Taiwan Pay.
- Japan — Cards including JCB, cash at convenience stores (konbini) and the PayPay phone wallet.
- South Korea — Locally issued Korean cards and wallets such as Kakao Pay, Naver Pay, PAYCO and Samsung Pay.
- Australia — Cards, most co-branded with the local eftpos network, plus Afterpay, Zip and PayTo bank payments.
- New Zealand — Cards and wallets, Afterpay and Klarna pay later, and BECS direct debit from NZ bank accounts.