How do I pay for and ride the metro in China?

If you have no local transport app, go to the station ticket counter or machine for a single-journey ticket. The State Council's visitor guide lists both. Keep the ticket or code handy until you leave: Shanghai, for example, collects its plastic single ticket at the exit gate and scans its paper code on the way in and out.

If you use Alipay, open Transport, choose the city and complete the identity step to get a metro code. Scan it at entry and exit. This is a city selection, so check that the city and metro service you need appear in the app before joining the gate queue.

As of September 30, 2026, official guidance confirms overseas Visa and Mastercard tap-to-ride in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. In Guangzhou, look for the card-network logo on the gate; the city's guidance specifies contactless cards. Shenzhen says to enable small-value contactless payments before tapping. Check the gate signs even in these four cities.

For Chengdu, Chongqing, Nanjing and Xi'an, this review did not find an official notice confirming overseas Visa or Mastercard tap-to-ride. Do not count on the card at the gate there. Bring RMB for a single ticket or set up an Alipay metro code before you travel. The State Council's guide says the Alipay code requires identity verification; it does not specify that a passport completes that particular step.

Expect a security check at the station entrance; Shanghai Metro describes this as routine. For an evening ride, read the first and last train times and transfer signs at the station instead of assuming the entire network closes together. Shanghai's rail rules require those notices to be posted. If you are continuing on a Shanghai single ticket, stay inside the paid area for the transfer: its single tickets do not cover an out-of-station transfer.