Going Cashless in Shanghai: My 7-Day Journey Using Only Mobile Payments

My 7-Day Journey into the Cashless Society of Shanghai

Planning a trip to China? Discover how I navigated Shanghai for 7 days without using a single yuan note or credit card. From Alipay to street food, this is a first-hand experience of China’s cashless revolution — and what it means for travelers in 2025.

It started as an experiment.
It ended as a revelation.
One week. One phone. No cash. No cards. And somehow, I didn’t just survive — I thrived.

Day 1: Airport Surprise — Setting Up Alipay in Minutes

The wheels of the plane screeched against the tarmac at Pudong International Airport, and I stepped into Shanghai with a light carry-on and a heavier doubt: Could I really go an entire week without using cash or credit cards in a foreign country?

My first shock came within 10 minutes.

I reached for my wallet to exchange money — like every traveler is trained to do — but paused. 

At a service desk in Shanghai Pudong International Airport’s Terminal 2, a staffer in charge of Alipay’s mobile payment project claimed users can use 10 different types of overseas e-wallets to scan the Alipay payment codes.

These 10 e-wallets serve 10 different countries, including South Korea, Singapore, and Vietnam. However, there are 2 popular types of paying in China: WeChat Pay: https://pay.weixin.qq.com/index.php/public/wechatpay_en/ vs Alipay: https://global.alipay.com/platform/site/ihome.

There it was: a bright blue icon on my home screen — Alipay for Foreigners (using Alipay in China). Could it really be that simple?

You can download Alipay from the Google Play Store, Apple App Store, or directly from the Alipay website. Ensure it’s the official application to avoid any security issues.

I tapped. The interface switched to English. I scanned my passport, linked my credit card, and within four minutes, I had a fully functional Chinese digital wallet.
No currency booths. No long ATM lines. No hidden exchange fees.
It felt… illegal, almost. Like I had skipped a ritual of travel.
But no — I had just entered a different civilization.

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Day 2: Buying Water Without Cash — My First Real Test

Thirsty after the flight, I stopped at a sleek convenience store. But there was no cashier. No one behind a counter. Just rows of gleaming shelves and a self-checkout machine with a giant QR code scanner.

Unmanned convenience store

I grabbed a bottle of Nongfu Spring, walked up, scanned it — and tapped Alipay. Ping. Done.

The teenager next to me paid for instant noodles with WeChat Pay. An elderly woman behind me did the same. No coins. No crumpled bills. No signatures. Just phones.

That’s when it hit me: cash here is a relic.

---

Day 3: Using the Shanghai Metro With Just a QR Code

In New York, I fumble with MetroCards. In Paris, I stand in line behind confused tourists at a ticket machine. But in Shanghai?

I opened WeChat, tapped “Metro,” and my personal QR pass lit up in green.

Shanghai metro gates with QR scanner

I approached the gates — beep! — they opened like magic.
No ticket. No language barrier. No human interaction.
I felt like I had just stepped into Blade Runner, minus the rain and despair.

---

Day 4: Street Food Vendors Who Refuse Cash

One evening, I wandered into a night market near Nanjing Road, drawn by the scent of grilled skewers. I picked up lamb on a stick, some fried tofu, and approached the smiling vendor.

I asked, half-seriously, “What if I paid with cash?”

He laughed, not mockingly, but with genuine amusement:

“I wouldn’t even know where to put it. I don’t carry change anymore.”

He held up his phone. I scanned. Payment successful.

This wasn’t a fancy mall or a tech expo. It was a street cart. Even here, cash was extinct.

---

Day 5: From Didi to Groceries — A Fully Mobile Life

By now, I had used my phone to:

• Book a Didi ride: https://www.didiglobal.com/ (China’s Uber) with no effort

• Pay for groceries at a local mom-and-pop store

• Top up my mobile data plan

• Even rent a public bike, all with QR codes

I wasn’t some elite foreigner with fancy tech.
I was just another node in a massive, invisible financial web that spanned the entire city.

And everyone — from delivery drivers to luxury shoppers — was plugged in.

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Day 6: Compared to the West, We’re Still in the Stone Age

In the U.S., I’ve watched people argue with cashiers about chip readers.
In Europe, I’ve had cafes insist on “cash only.”
But in Shanghai, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who even carries a physical wallet.

China didn’t upgrade its payment system.
It leapfrogged.
They skipped the plastic card era entirely, jumping from cash to QR codes: https://scanqr.org in one bound: https://www.the-qrcode-generator.com/

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Day 7: No Wallet, No Problem — Leaving With New Expectations

As I packed for the airport, I realized something strange:
I hadn’t touched a single yuan note all week, not once.

My wallet remained sealed in my backpack — a fossil of another age.

I didn’t just experience convenience. I experienced what life could feel like when technology fades into the background, when friction disappears, and when your phone becomes your passport, wallet, map, translator, and concierge.

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Final Thoughts: Shanghai Isn’t the Future — It’s the Present

If you’re planning on traveling to Shanghai, skip the foreign exchange booth.

Just download:

• – ✅ Alipay for Foreigners (TourPass)
  – ✅ Optional: WeChat Pay (some stores use both)
  – ✅ Linked credit/debit card (Visa, MasterCard)
  – ✅ Power bank
  – ✅ Basic Mandarin phrases:
  – “扫一扫” (scan it)
  – “二维码” (QR code)

Then watch the world transform around you.

I came to test whether I could survive a week without cash or cards.
I left wondering why the rest of the world still bothers carrying a wallet.

 

### FAQs about Going Cashless in China

**Can foreigners use Alipay or WeChat Pay in China?**
Yes, apps like Alipay now support foreign credit/debit cards. Tourists can use TourPass to activate payment for a limited time.

**Is it safe to use mobile payments in China?**
Yes. Alipay and WeChat Pay have robust security, including biometric verification and fraud protection.

**Do I need internet to pay with Alipay?**
Not always. Some offline QR payments work, but having mobile data is highly recommended.

**Can I still use cash in Shanghai?**
You can, but many small vendors and services may not accept it anymore.