Wechat wallet

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boringLife-

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jywy2005 said:
You can't top up rmb directly into the e-wallets using sg bank accounts.
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I know. I thought if i open with icbc/boc it will be considered china haha

I think i read before got 1 bro managed to open 1 when he was physically in china. Maybe i shall give it a try if i am free coz i want to use wechat red packet function
 
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jywy2005

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boringLife- said:
I know. I thought if i open with icbc/boc it will be considered china haha

I think i read before got 1 bro managed to open 1 when he was physically in china. Maybe i shall give it a try if i am free coz i want to use wechat red packet function
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The other way is to open icbc sg dual currency account and fund it with Rmb. Then link it to your wechat or Alipay account. The transactions made in China will be debited via your sg account, without paying the 3%. If you hold their cc, you enjoy cashback on your transactions.

I still have a China icbc account opened in 2018. I find it a hassle to top it up in cash cos I can't remit rmb via the remittance agents to my own account. It has to be their own chinese people with their IDs.

Nowadays I just top my my sg icbc account with RMB before my trip to China. ICBC foreign currency rmb exchange rates not too bad, sometimes better than those money changer.

Can also use BOC which I feel their mobile app interface more user-friendly.
 
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froztheart

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boringLife- said:
Can check are we allowed to open a bank account with debit card from a china bank in singapore at the moment? Topping up rmb to wechat/alipay/douyin all require china bank account card
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If you are referring to pure Chinese apps, I believe they require China bank cards, not locally SG opened China bank cards.
Basically most Chinese apps and their promos/topups etc. require China bank cards/mobile number verification/identify verification before being able to use/utilise.

boringLife- said:
I know. I thought if i open with icbc/boc it will be considered china haha

I think i read before got 1 bro managed to open 1 when he was physically in china. Maybe i shall give it a try if i am free coz i want to use wechat red packet function
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So yes, unless one opens a bank account in China and have funds available otherwise, not able to utilise.

I stand corrected if anyone has a more accurate and updated info otherwise, believe what I shared is accurate as of current.
 
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cherynsq said:
I added Youtrip to my app. is there any better way to do so? Traveling this Monday
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If you have friends with WeChat Wallet Balance, you can also ask them to transfer some money to you and then you pay them in SGD. Then you can use the balance in China without worrying about the credit card fees.

This is supposed to be a loophole. YMMV but no harm trying if possible.

xiaofan said:
It seems okay after I carried out Real Name Authentication again today by uploading the latest Passport photo and with Facial Scan.

Looks like previous verification a few years ago was not successful (only the passport photo uploaded, no facial scan).

Tested with sending and receiving RMB red packets from the existing balance of RMB 213.42 which I had not touched since May 2020 until now.
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xiaofan said:
Indeed. I exchanged RMB 3000 cash for my one week short trip to South Fujian (Nan'an 南安, Jinjiang 晋江 and ShiShi石狮). In the end I spent zero cents cash since my WeChat Pay Wallet balance was working fine.

It is linked to my Singapore credit card and Singapore mobile number. After I tried verification again with Passport and Face Recognition, now it can accept Red Packet and Transfer (YMMV). So I got more balances in the wallet through red packets and use the balance to pay in supermarkets and also for street vendors.
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Is it first time link international card user can waive up to RMB 1,000 daily (maximum 60 days) on the 3% fee for WeChat Pay?
 
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xiaofan

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ThinkMe said:
Is it first time link international card user can waive up to RMB 1,000 daily (maximum 60 days) on the 3% fee for WeChat Pay?
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cherynsq said:
OH IS THIS REAL? where to check, im flying tomorrow
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Never tried this myself but this seems to be correct as per some official Chinese government website. However I cannot find such info from WeChat itself.

https://english.beijing.gov.cn/specials/paymentservices/news/202505/t20250528_4100629.html

WeChat Pay has recently announced a preferential campaign targeting the payments using international bank cards.

International bank card users who link their cards to WeChat Pay for the first time are each eligible for a full waiver of the 3% transaction fee on daily transactions under CNY 1,000 for 60 consecutive days starting from their first transactions, with a maximum saving of CNY 30 per transaction.

For all international bank card users, every single transaction under CNY 200 is eligible for an exemption from the 3% transaction fee.
 
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xiaofan

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WeChat Facebook post on 26 May 2025.
https://www.facebook.com/share/1DKhzaxsEF/


😎 New here? Here’s the deal:
First-time Weixin Pay users linking an international card (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, etc.) can now enjoy 60 days of fee-free spending in Chinese Mainland (up to RMB 1,000 per day without paying the usual 3% service fee).

🛂 No real-name verification needed.
📱 Works directly with your existing international card.

Scan to pay and flex like a local—with zero worry on conversions.
Tell your friends before they pay more than they should.

*Terms and Conditions apply. See comment for a quick video guide on linking your card!

#WeixinPay #Weixin #ChinaTravelTips
 
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froztheart

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xiaofan said:
Never tried this myself but this seems to be correct as per some official Chinese government website. However I cannot find such info from WeChat itself.

https://english.beijing.gov.cn/specials/paymentservices/news/202505/t20250528_4100629.html

WeChat Pay has recently announced a preferential campaign targeting the payments using international bank cards.

International bank card users who link their cards to WeChat Pay for the first time are each eligible for a full waiver of the 3% transaction fee on daily transactions under CNY 1,000 for 60 consecutive days starting from their first transactions, with a maximum saving of CNY 30 per transaction.

For all international bank card users, every single transaction under CNY 200 is eligible for an exemption from the 3% transaction fee.
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Yes, I experienced this previously so this is real but not sure whether still applicable.
 
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xiaofan

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quekkb said:
Does it apply to Alipay?
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Supposedly yes. The 3% fee waiver for above RMB 200 transactions is driven by UnionPay and applies to both WeChat Pay and AliPay.

But the promotion period may be limited. You need to check with the respective local bank for duration of the promotion.

Example from DBS UnionPay Premium Debit Card. The promotion should still be valid now. DBS does not mention the end date of the 3% transaction fee waiver promotion.

https://www.dbs.com.sg/personal/cards/debit-cards/dbs-unionpay

1) Unlock up to 8% Cashback on your spend!

From now till 31 Mar 2026, make your travels to China even more rewarding with up to 8% Cashback.

2) Enjoy 3% transaction fee waiver

Link your card to Alipay or WeChat Pay and enjoy 3% transaction fee waiver.

3) Overseas ATM fee waiver
Withdraw cash overseas and enjoy ATM fee waivers.
 
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