China Payment Gateways: 6 Options to Accept Payments from Chinese Shoppers
Updated on |By QPSoftware
A China payment gateway lets your online store accept the methods Chinese shoppers use at checkout: Alipay, WeChat Pay and UnionPay cards. A company based outside mainland China does not need a Chinese entity to start. Cross-border providers such as GoAllPay, Pockyt or WeChat Pay’s partner institutions charge the shopper in RMB and settle you in a foreign currency.
Key takeaways
- Chinese shoppers expect mobile wallets at checkout: in 2025, licensed non-bank payment companies processed 1.33 trillion online payments worth 337.81 trillion yuan, according to the People’s Bank of China.
- Offer Alipay and WeChat Pay first, then UnionPay for shoppers who pay by bank card.
- A company based abroad connects through a cross-border provider: a payment platform such as GoAllPay or Pockyt, an Alipay acquirer such as Antom, a WeChat Pay partner institution in its market, or Stripe.
- A company registered in China can open a WeChat Pay merchant account directly.
- Mainland China is not among the countries where a business can open a Stripe account, but Stripe merchants in supported countries can accept Alipay and WeChat Pay.
- Before you sign with a Chinese payment company, check that it holds a payment license from the People’s Bank of China.
In 2022, according to Insider Intelligence, China’s e-commerce market was the largest in the world, at 2.8 trillion USD, over 2.5 times the size of the US market. Selling to Chinese consumers can pay off, but only when it is done correctly, and choosing the right payment gateways to collect money from your customers is critical.
Chinese consumers buy without hesitation on large marketplaces such as Tmall, Taobao and JD.com. When you sell from your own e-commerce website, you have to offer payment methods they already trust, so they feel at ease.
This guide explains what a payment gateway does, which gateways Chinese shoppers expect, and how a foreign company can accept them. When you are ready to add them to your store, our team in Shanghai handles China payment gateway integration for Alipay, WeChat Pay and UnionPay.
What Is a China Payment Gateway?
A payment gateway allows you to collect money from your customers’ credit cards, debit cards or digital wallets when they buy something from your online shop. In China, the gateway also has to handle the wallets Chinese shoppers use every day, above all Alipay and WeChat Pay.
Think about the physical point of sale (POS) terminal you find in any brick-and-mortar store. Once you insert your card into it, your card information is processed, and the payment is authorized. A payment gateway works exactly the same way on your website.
Payment gateways can be integrated into the most popular e-commerce platforms, such as Adobe Commerce and PrestaShop. They offer advantages to both merchants and buyers: by adding a layer of security to transactions, they make customers feel safe and, in turn, more likely to buy.
Payment gateways are also available 24/7, support several forms of payment, including credit cards, debit cards and mobile wallets, and come with real-time reporting tools to track your sales performance.
While PayPal is one of the most popular payment gateways in the West, it is not what Chinese shoppers expect at checkout. China’s e-commerce ecosystem runs on mobile payments, so merchants have to adapt to the payment gateways Chinese consumers use.
What Is the Difference Between a Payment Gateway, a Merchant Account and a Payment Processor?
Although a customer may buy something online in a matter of seconds, a lot is going on behind the scenes. To finalize the purchase and for you to collect the money, three elements must work together: the payment gateway, the payment processor and the merchant account.
As explained above, the payment gateway is like the sale terminal of a brick-and-mortar store. Its function is to accept an online payment on your e-commerce site. It acts as the mediator between the transaction on your website and the payment processor.
The information collected by the payment gateway is transferred to the payment processor. Payment processors are the financial institutions that authorize the transaction and handle the movement of money. They exchange information between the cardholder’s bank and the merchant account, and they check the validity of the card, the availability of funds, whether monthly limits have been exceeded, and so on. If everything is legitimate, the payment processor authorizes the transfer of funds to the merchant account.
The merchant account is a kind of bank account where the money of a successful transaction is deposited. It differs from a normal bank account because you do not control it directly. Once the money is deposited into your merchant account, the funds are transferred to your business account.
Which Payment Methods Do Chinese Consumers Expect?
In short: mobile wallets first, then bank cards. Most developed economies went from debit cards to credit cards and are only now switching to mobile payments. China largely skipped the credit card stage.
The figures of the People’s Bank of China for 2025 show it:
- Non-bank payment institutions, the licensed companies behind wallets such as Alipay and WeChat Pay, processed 1.33 trillion online payments worth 337.81 trillion yuan.
- Banks processed 231.46 billion mobile payment transactions worth 571.97 trillion yuan.
- At the end of 2025, China had 10.217 billion bank cards, but only 696 million of them were credit cards or combined credit and debit cards.
Some Chinese consumers still buy online with debit or credit cards, but mobile wallets are what most of them expect at checkout. Local consumers tend to trust websites that only accept card payments less.
Understanding the psychology of your buyers is how you close a sale. Integrate the payment gateways that give your customers peace of mind and an incentive to buy from you. China’s central bank also issues a digital currency, the digital yuan (e-CNY), which works alongside these wallets.
What to Look for in a China Payment Gateway
Before deciding which payment gateway to use in your online shop, look at how local buyers behave. A payment gateway that is the most popular in your country is not necessarily the right choice in China. For instance, PayPal is not easy for most Chinese consumers to access, and if you rely on it alone to sell in China, you will not make many sales.
Check four points:
- The wallets your buyers use. Alipay and WeChat Pay first, and UnionPay for card payments.
- Compatibility with your platform. If you are planning China e-commerce development on PrestaShop or Adobe Commerce, check that the gateway offers a maintained module or an API for your platform and its version.
- The license. Non-bank payment companies in China operate under a payment license from the People’s Bank of China, which publishes the list of licensed institutions on its website.
- The experience in China. Pages and scripts served from abroad go through the filtering system known as the Great Firewall. To create a smooth customer experience, choose gateways that Chinese shoppers already use, and test the checkout from mainland China before launch.
How Can a Foreign Company Accept Payments from China?
Businesses with a Chinese business license and international businesses selling to China face different requirements. A company registered in China can open domestic merchant accounts and is paid in RMB. A company based abroad uses cross-border payments: the Chinese shopper pays in RMB with a wallet they know, and the merchant is settled in a foreign currency. This is how you sell to China without a Chinese entity.
International businesses have three main routes:
- A global payment processor. Stripe supports both Alipay and WeChat Pay. Stripe accounts in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Australia and Hong Kong can accept WeChat Pay, and shoppers see their purchase amount in CNY, according to Stripe’s documentation. Mainland China is not on that list.
- A WeChat Pay partner institution. WeChat Pay’s cross-border program works mainly through acquiring institutions, which connect to the WeChat Pay API and give merchants access to it in every area where the program is available. A direct connection is only offered in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom, as WeChat Pay’s documentation for global merchants explains. WeChat Pay settles these cross-border payments in 26 currencies.
- An Alipay acquirer. Alipay’s global website sends merchants to Antom, whose documentation says merchants from all over the world can add the Alipay wallet to their checkout.
Regulations, marketplaces and customs clearance for sellers based abroad are covered in our guide to cross-border e-commerce in China.
6 Best Payment Gateway Providers for E-commerce in China
To help make your choice easier, we have selected 6 payment gateways for selling in China. If you integrate at least Alipay and WeChat Pay, you cover the wallets most Chinese shoppers use.
| Payment gateway | Type | Best for | Without a Chinese entity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alipay | Mobile wallet | Online, in-app and in-store payments by Chinese shoppers | Yes, through Stripe or an acquirer such as Antom |
| WeChat Pay | Wallet built into WeChat | Mini Programs, Official Accounts, mobile websites and apps | Yes, through a partner institution or Stripe |
| UnionPay | Bank card network | Shoppers who pay by card, in China and abroad | Through an acquirer that accepts UnionPay cards |
| Stripe | Global payment processor | Foreign companies that want Alipay and WeChat Pay in one checkout | Yes, from a supported country |
| 99Bill | Chinese payment company | Online payments in China | Ask the provider |
| YeePay | Chinese payment company | Travel, airlines and education | Ask the provider |
Alipay
Alipay was created by Alibaba in Hangzhou in 2004. Stripe’s documentation describes it today as a digital wallet with more than a billion active users worldwide. Chinese shoppers use it to pay online, in apps and in stores, and our Alipay app profile explains how consumers and businesses register.
What makes this payment solution highly valued in China is the protection it offers to customers. Alipay offers an escrow service that allows customers to verify their goods before releasing their payment. It also accepts immediate payments for booking services or digital products.
In 2020, Alipay also launched Alipay+, a cross-border payments solution that helps Chinese consumers pay international merchants. The Alipay+ website now presents it as a gateway that connects merchants with more than 50 mobile payment providers.
Pros
- Already widely used by Chinese consumers for mobile payments
- Buyer protection through its escrow service
- Available to merchants outside China through cross-border acquirers
Cons
- Fees and settlement terms depend on the acquirer you choose, so compare offers
WeChat Pay
WeChat Pay is Tencent’s payment service, built into WeChat and operated by Tencent’s licensed payment company, Tenpay. Stripe’s documentation describes WeChat as China’s leading mobile app, with over 1 billion monthly active users, and WeChat Pay as a wallet with over 800 million users. Our WeChat Pay app profile covers its features, and our comparison of WeChat Pay vs Alipay explains how the two wallets differ.
WeChat Pay can be linked to your WeChat Official Account, allowing your customers to see and buy your products directly from their mobile phones.
On WeChat, businesses can also set up their own WeChat store, integrated with the rest of the WeChat ecosystem, including Mini Programs, Official Accounts and, of course, WeChat Pay. Businesses sell directly to consumers, who never need to leave WeChat.
Pros
- Built into WeChat, an app that is part of daily life in China
- Works in Mini Programs, Official Accounts, mobile websites and apps
- Cross-border merchants can be settled in 26 currencies
Cons
- A merchant outside China needs a partner institution or a processor such as Stripe to connect
UnionPay
China UnionPay was founded in Shanghai in 2002, and its aim was to unify China’s bank card networks, hence the name UnionPay. It is the closest thing in China to the plastic cards Western shoppers are familiar with, and anyone with a Chinese bank card can pay with it. In 2025, the UnionPay interbank payment system processed 380.38 billion transactions, according to the People’s Bank of China.
UnionPay cards can be used in 183 countries and regions, according to UnionPay International, which makes them useful to Chinese nationals living or traveling abroad. UnionPay has also entered the digital wallet arena with its QuickPass mobile payments. Our UnionPay app profile describes how merchants integrate it.
Pros
- Large, state-backed company, conferring strong consumer trust
- Widespread usage by Chinese nationals living and traveling abroad
- Closest analog to Western credit cards
Cons
- UnionPay’s QuickPass is less popular than WeChat Pay and Alipay as a mobile payment solution within China
- Younger people living in China are less likely to use bank cards as their primary payment method
Stripe
Stripe is a well-established payment processing platform familiar to most Western merchants. QPSoftware has not integrated it on a client project: we list it as an option of the market, for merchants who already use it. Many might not know that Stripe accepts payments from Alipay and WeChat Pay wallets. This makes it a practical option for international businesses looking for a familiar and easy-to-use payment gateway to reach Chinese consumers. Shoppers see the amount in CNY, and you can create the payment in CNY or in the currency of your country, such as USD, EUR or GBP.
Pros
- Easy to navigate and to integrate for Western businesses
- Alipay and WeChat Pay in the same checkout as cards
- No chargebacks: Stripe’s documentation states that Alipay and WeChat Pay payments have no dispute process
Cons
- Not available to businesses based in mainland China
- Refunds are limited in time: 180 days for WeChat Pay and 90 days for Alipay payments
99Bill
99Bill (快钱) is a Shanghai-based payment company that holds a payment license from the People’s Bank of China. It is less well known abroad than Alipay, WeChat Pay and UnionPay. Ask 99Bill directly about its conditions for foreign merchants, including settlement currencies, fees and minimum turnover, before you plan an integration.
YeePay
YeePay (易宝支付) is a Beijing-based payment company that also holds a payment license from the People’s Bank of China. It does not focus primarily on retail, but on industries such as travel and airline booking, digital entertainment, insurance, telecom and education. It is less suited to retail merchants.
Payment Integrations We Have Delivered
For WeChat Mini Programs, the provider depends on where the merchant is registered. These are the three setups we use:
| Merchant | Provider we integrate | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Brand based abroad, without a Chinese company | GoAllPay, a cross-border payment platform | Ma France and other overseas brands |
| Brand that already works with a payment partner | The partner the client chooses, such as Pockyt | Go City |
| Company registered in China | A native WeChat Pay merchant account | Domestic Mini Programs |
QPSoftware has integrated Chinese payment methods on websites and WeChat Mini Programs for clients from several industries:
- For Lucrin Geneva, a luxury leather goods brand, the localized Magento website includes Alipay, UnionPay and WeChat Pay.
- For Oceanfleet, a seafood company, we developed a mobile-first Drupal Commerce website with WeChat, Alipay, UnionPay and PayPal payments, as well as a refund system.
- For Ma France, a platform that sells French-made products to Chinese consumers, we connected the WeChat Mini Program to the GoAllPay platform: payments from WeChat wallets are transferred directly to the company’s bank account in France, and the store converts currencies automatically.
- For Go City, a pass for attractions around the world, we built a WeChat Mini Program that sells its passes to Chinese travelers, with WeChat Pay connected through Pockyt, the payment partner Go City asked us to work with.
What Should You Do Next?
Opening an e-commerce website in China can be a smart move, but the operating environment is more challenging and your checkout has to match local habits. Start with your buyers. If they live in mainland China, offer Alipay and WeChat Pay first, then UnionPay. If your company is based abroad, choose your cross-border route (a payment platform such as GoAllPay, an Alipay acquirer, a WeChat Pay partner institution or Stripe) before you design the checkout, and test the payment flow from mainland China.
Choosing the right payment gateway requires study and an analysis of your user base, and the support of a local expert is often the fastest way through it. Founded in 2009, QPSoftware works from Shanghai, with more than 200 projects delivered. We can build your e-commerce site on a platform such as PrestaShop or Adobe Commerce and integrate Chinese payment methods that fit your industry and your legal setup.
Call us today, and we will explain our e-commerce solutions for the Chinese market.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best payment method in China?
For most online stores, Alipay and WeChat Pay. Chinese shoppers use these mobile wallets for everyday purchases, online and in stores, and expect to find them at checkout. UnionPay covers shoppers who prefer to pay with a bank card. If you sell inside WeChat, through a Mini Program or an Official Account, WeChat Pay is the natural choice, because buyers pay without leaving the app.
Is Stripe available in China?
Not for businesses based in mainland China: it is not among the countries where a business can open a Stripe account, while Hong Kong is. A company registered in a supported country, such as the United States, the United Kingdom or Singapore, can use Stripe to accept Alipay and WeChat Pay from Chinese customers, who see the amount in CNY.
Can a foreign company accept WeChat Pay and Alipay without a Chinese entity?
Yes. A company based outside mainland China can accept both wallets through cross-border payments. WeChat Pay works mainly through acquiring institutions in each market, Alipay through acquirers such as Antom, and both are available on Stripe in supported countries. The shopper pays in RMB, and with WeChat Pay’s cross-border program or Stripe, the merchant is paid in a foreign currency.
Which payment provider should a WeChat Mini Program use?
It depends on the merchant. A company registered in China opens a WeChat Pay merchant account directly. A brand based abroad goes through a cross-border platform: we use GoAllPay, which charges the shopper in RMB and pays the merchant in its own currency. When a client already works with a payment partner, such as Pockyt for Go City, we integrate that partner.
Which payment gateways work with e-commerce platforms such as PrestaShop or Adobe Commerce?
Most major gateways offer modules or APIs for common e-commerce platforms, but support varies by platform version and by market. Before you choose, check that a maintained module exists for your version, that it supports the wallets you need (Alipay, WeChat Pay, UnionPay), and that it handles refunds and currency conversion. A custom integration through the gateway’s API remains the fallback.
