How to sign up and use Alipay

What is Alipay

Alipay is part of the Alibaba ecosystem. The app was developed by Ant Group — the fintech subsidiary of Alibaba Group, the same company that owns Taobao, Tmall, and AliExpress. Ant Group focuses on payment technologies, financial services, and digital identity, and Alipay is its main product.

How to sign up for Alipay

Download the Alipay app from the App Store or Google Play. On the start screen, select “Sign Up” and enter your phone number. The app will send an SMS code, which you need to enter to verify the number.

After logging in, Alipay will ask you to provide your name and country of residence. These details can be changed later. The app may also request access to the camera — this is needed for scanning QR codes.

How to link a card and enable payments in Alipay

To make QR-code payments, you need to add a bank card. In the main menu, open the “Me” section, then select “Bank Cards” or “Add Card.” Alipay will ask for your card details: number, expiration date, and CVV.

After entering the information, the app will automatically link the card or send a request to your bank. In such cases, you’ll need to confirm the link using an SMS code from your bank. Once the verification is successful, the card will appear in the list of linked cards, and Alipay will activate payments.

International Visa, Mastercard, and UnionPay cards are supported, but the success of payments depends on the bank. If a transaction fails, the issue is usually caused by bank restrictions rather than the app.

How to make payments in Alipay

Once your card is linked, you can use Alipay like a regular digital wallet. Payments are made via QR codes: the main menu has two buttons — “Scan” (to scan someone else’s code) and “Pay” (to show your own code to the seller). This payment method works in shops, public transport, cafés, hotels, marketplaces, and in the app’s mini-services.

With Alipay, you can top up mobile data, pay utility bills, buy tickets, use city services, order taxis, and shop online. Many features are available as mini-programs that open inside Alipay without installing separate apps.

Some services — such as insurance, government platforms, or P2P transfers — may require additional identity verification or support only Chinese bank cards.

What services are available in Alipay

In addition to payments, Alipay includes a set of built-in services that work directly inside the app.

Tickets and travel

With Alipay, you can purchase train, bus, and airline tickets. The built-in services allow you to check schedules, choose routes, and pay for trips using a QR code.

Transport

The app supports metro and bus payments through transport QR codes. In some cities, operator mini-services are available — they let you open turnstiles, top up transport balances, and use discounted fares.

City services

Many cities offer their public services through Alipay: paying fines, renting bicycles, digital queue tickets, certificates, and local resident platforms. This allows users to access city services without installing separate apps.

Video feed

The app includes a section with short videos similar to Reels. It features service overviews, café and shop recommendations, travel selections, and promotional clips. This helps users navigate local services and discover current offers.

What’s the difference between Alipay and WeChat

Alipay is a payment platform. Its main purpose is to process QR-code payments and work with financial services. The app is built around the digital wallet function: users link international bank cards, pay for purchases, transportation, services, tickets, utilities, and mobile top-ups. Most built-in Alipay services are related to payments and financial operations — city payments, insurance, transport cards, tickets, and mini-programs from stores and delivery services.

WeChat is a messaging app with an attached payment system. Payments are important there, but the app is primarily used for communication, contacts, work groups, university notifications, and mini-services that are not always linked to money.