Can You Use Cash in China?
What Foreigners Need to Know About Money in 2024–2025

If you've done any research before visiting China, you've almost certainly read that the country has gone cashless. That's mostly true — but "mostly" matters enormously when you're standing at a wet market stall at 7 a.m. with nothing but a foreign credit card. The reality for foreigners in 2024–2025 is nuanced: mobile payment is dominant, cash is still legally required to be accepted, ATMs for foreign cards can be hit-or-miss, and the best strategy is a combination of both. This guide walks you through everything you need to know about money before you land.

The Reality: China Is Nearly Cashless — But Not Completely

WeChat Pay and Alipay together account for the overwhelming majority of consumer transactions in China. Walk into any modern restaurant, convenience store, or shopping mall and you will see QR codes on every counter. Many younger Chinese residents have not carried physical cash in years. For them, a phone is their wallet, transit card, and bank account rolled into one.

For foreigners, however, the situation is more complicated. Setting up a fully functional WeChat Pay or Alipay account historically required a Chinese bank account — a barrier that shut most visitors out. That has changed somewhat: both apps now allow foreigners to link international Visa and Mastercard credit cards and make payments directly. But coverage is not universal, some merchants do not accept international card-linked payments on these apps, and technical issues do occur. Cash remains a legitimate and sometimes essential backup.

Importantly, Chinese law mandates that businesses must accept RMB banknotes. A merchant cannot legally refuse cash. In practice, some very modern venues may push back, but knowing your rights can help — and having cash means you are never completely stuck.

Where Cash Is Accepted (and Expected)

There are specific situations where cash is not just accepted but genuinely the easiest or only practical option:

• Traditional restaurants and local noodle shops — smaller family-run establishments often prefer or only accept cash and WeChat Pay from a local account.
• Wet markets and fresh produce stalls — the morning markets where locals buy vegetables, tofu, and street food are cash economies. QR codes may exist but foreign-linked apps may not work.
• Rural areas and smaller towns — outside major cities, digital infrastructure is thinner. Cash is king in villages and rural guesthouses.
• Taxis (older drivers and non-app taxis) — ride-hailing apps (DiDi) handle payment digitally, but street-hailed taxis, especially with older drivers, may prefer or only accept cash.
• Temples, heritage sites, and scenic area entrances — some smaller temples and rural scenic spots sell tickets only at a cash window.
• Small independent shops and artisan stalls — craft markets, souvenir vendors outside tourist zones, and neighborhood shops often run cash-only.
• Public toilets requiring an attendant fee — rare but they exist, typically ¥0.5–2.

Where Cash Is Awkward or Rejected

There are also places where arriving with only cash will slow you down or simply not work:

• Chain restaurants (McDonald's, KFC, Luckin Coffee, Haidilao) — predominantly digital. Some have self-service kiosks that only accept QR payment or UnionPay cards.
• Convenience stores (FamilyMart, Lawson, 711) — technically accept cash, but during rush hours the flow is so fast that paying with unfamiliar denominations can feel awkward.
• Online ticketing for major attractions — the Forbidden City, West Lake scenic areas, and many popular sites now require advance booking via apps, with no cash window at all. You must book digitally before you go.
• High-speed rail ticket machines — accept UnionPay cards and mobile pay; some accept foreign Visa/Mastercard, others do not. Staffed windows do accept cash, but queues can be long.
• Shared bikes (Meituan, Hello Bike) — entirely app-based. No cash option exists.
• Didi ride-hailing — payment is processed through the app automatically.

RMB Basics: Denominations and Exchange Rates

China's currency is the Renminbi (RMB), also called the yuan and abbreviated as CNY or ¥. Locally, you will hear people refer to amounts in kuai (块) — the colloquial word for yuan — and mao (毛) for jiao, which is 0.10 yuan. Knowing these words helps when bargaining or listening to prices spoken aloud.

Banknotes are issued in the following denominations:

Coins exist for ¥1, ¥0.5 (5 jiao), and ¥0.1 (1 jiao). The ¥0.1 coin is rarely seen in everyday transactions today. As a rough reference for 2024–2025, the exchange rate has hovered around 7.1–7.3 yuan per US dollar, 8.9–9.2 yuan per British pound, and 7.7–8.0 yuan per euro — but always check a live rate source before exchanging.

How to Get Cash in China

ATMs: The Most Convenient Option

ATMs are available in every city and most towns. The key is finding one that accepts foreign-issued cards. Look for machines displaying the Visa, Mastercard, or UnionPay logo — these are your best bet. Daily withdrawal limits vary by your home bank and the Chinese ATM, but typically range from ¥2,500 to ¥5,000 per transaction. Expect a combined foreign transaction fee from your home bank (usually 1–3%) plus a fixed ATM fee (often ¥20–35 per withdrawal). Using a card with no foreign transaction fees — such as Charles Schwab or Starling Bank — significantly reduces this cost.

Best ATMs for Foreign Cards

Not all ATMs in China are equally reliable for foreign cards. The following banks consistently have the highest success rates:

• Bank of China (中国银行) — the most internationally oriented Chinese bank; foreign cards work most reliably here.
• ICBC (工商银行) — the largest bank in China by assets; widely available and generally foreign-card friendly.
• HSBC China (汇丰银行) — branches in major cities; foreign Visa and Mastercard acceptance is very reliable.
• Citibank China — available in Shanghai and Beijing; often surcharge-free for Citi cardholders.

Avoid obscure regional bank ATMs, particularly in smaller cities, where foreign card rejection is common. Even at the banks listed above, individual machines can occasionally fail — this is normal and frustrating. If your card is declined, try a different machine at the same bank before assuming a card problem.

Bank Counters with Your Passport

You can withdraw cash directly at a bank teller window using your foreign card and passport. This is more reliable than ATMs (a human can troubleshoot) but slower — expect to queue and fill in a form. Bring your passport, as it is required for all over-the-counter foreign currency transactions. Bank of China and ICBC both offer this service at their main branches.

Hotel Front Desk

Many hotels — particularly international chains — offer currency exchange at the front desk. This is convenient but the rates are consistently poor, often 3–5% below the interbank rate. Use the hotel desk only in a genuine emergency when banks are closed.

How Much Cash Should You Carry?

The honest answer depends on your itinerary, but a practical guideline for most foreign visitors is:

• Minimum recommended: ¥500 — enough for a few meals, a taxi or two, and small purchases if your app or card fails.
• Comfortable buffer: ¥1,000 — covers a full day of activity in most cities without touching your phone.
• Rural or multi-day trips: ¥2,000+ — if you are heading to rural Yunnan, remote sections of the Silk Road, or spending days in areas without reliable ATM access, carry more.

There is little reason to carry more than ¥2,000–3,000 at any one time in major cities. Modern China is safe, but carrying large amounts of cash unnecessarily adds risk. Withdraw regularly in small amounts rather than carrying a week's worth of spending in your pocket.

Currency Exchange: Airport vs. Bank vs. Hotel

The best rates are always at a bank counter. The interbank rate (the "real" exchange rate you see on Google) is what banks use — they take a small margin but it is far less than airport bureaux de change. If you exchange at an airport, do the minimum needed to get to your hotel, then find a Bank of China branch for the rest.

ATM withdrawals are also a solid option because the network exchange rate is used at the point of conversion, not a retail exchange rate. The main variable is your home bank's foreign transaction fees.

Counterfeit Awareness

Counterfeit RMB does circulate, though it is far less common than it once was, partly because digital payments have reduced the volume of cash in circulation. As a foreign visitor, your risk is low if you follow these simple rules:

• Always use ATMs or bank counters to get cash. Machine-dispensed notes are verified; notes from banks are verified. Your risk of receiving a fake is effectively zero from these sources.
• Be cautious accepting worn or heavily creased ¥100 notes from strangers — these are the most frequently counterfeited denomination. If someone on the street offers to exchange money or gives you change in large, worn notes, decline.
• Check the security features on ¥100 notes — look for a color-shifting ink panel on the front right, a watermark portrait of Mao Zedong visible when held to light, and a metallic security strip embedded in the note.
• If a merchant suspects a note is fake, they may refuse it without explanation. This is not a reflection on you — it is standard practice.

The Foreigner's Smart Payment Strategy

The optimal approach for most foreign visitors in 2024–2025 is a three-layer system:

Tipping in China

Tipping is not customary in China and is not expected in restaurants, taxis, or for most services. Leaving a tip at a local restaurant may confuse staff, who might run after you to return the "forgotten" money. The price you pay is the price — there is no service charge culture embedded in Chinese dining.

There are two exceptions worth noting:

• Porters at international luxury hotels — staff at five-star hotels catering to international guests are accustomed to tips. ¥10–20 per bag is reasonable.
• Private tour guides — if you book a private guide for a day, a tip of ¥100–200 is appreciated but not mandatory. Group tour guides do not typically receive individual tips.

In all other contexts — taxis, restaurants, shops, massage parlors, street food — no tip is necessary or expected. This is one less thing to calculate on your trip.