Cash or card at hostels in China

Don’t rely on cards in China. Even in hostels, staff will often say the machine doesn’t work. I stayed in Chengdu near Kuanzhai Alley, and the hostel there insisted on WeChat Pay or cash. My foreign debit card wasn’t useful, except to withdraw at Bank of China. In Kunming, the same thing happened-cash or nothing. It’s not like Europe. Bring cash or get WeChat set up if you can, otherwise you’ll be running around looking for an ATM whenever you check in.

In Shanghai, some of the more international hostels around People’s Square did accept cards, especially if they had a lot of European backpackers. I paid with my Mastercard at one in Huangpu district and it worked fine. But in smaller cities like Guilin or Xi’an, hostels really expect you to pay cash. I also noticed some accepted UnionPay cards but not Visa/Mastercard. If you stick to big cities, you might be okay with card, but always have RMB in your wallet.

I remember checking into a hostel near West Lake in Hangzhou. I walked in thinking I could swipe my card, but nope-the staff just looked confused. They asked me for cash or WeChat Pay. Since I didn’t have WeChat Pay linked to a Chinese account, I had to rush to a Bank of China ATM near Hefang Street to withdraw cash. Honestly, carrying yuan saved me in a few hostels where cards simply weren’t an option. Even if booking was with a card, balance usually wasn’t.

In China, most hostels don’t really use international card machines. I stayed in Beijing near Dongzhimen and the hostel only accepted WeChat Pay, Alipay, or cash. My foreign Visa didn’t work anywhere. There’s an ICBC ATM near Sanlitun that gave me RMB with my Mastercard, but you do pay a small fee. If you’re traveling around Shanghai or Chengdu, some hostels in popular tourist areas like The Bund or Jinli Street might accept card, but cash or local mobile pay is way more common.