TenPayGo: China's New Payment App for Tourists

HelloChinaOctober 10, 2026

TenPayGo is Tencent's payment app built specifically for foreign visitors to China, launched September 24, 2026. You sign up with an email address — no Chinese phone number, bank account, or WeChat account required — link a foreign card or e-wallet, and pay anywhere WeChat Pay is accepted. For a one-to-two-week trip, it is currently the easiest way for tourists to pay in China. (Details checked October 2026; the feature list is still expanding — verify in the app.)

Key facts

• What: TenPayGo is a standalone app by Tencent's WeChat Pay team, designed for inbound tourists — Tencent's first payment product built for visitors rather than adapted for them.

• Launched: September 24, 2026, in Shenzhen.

• Signup: Email address only. No Chinese phone number, no Chinese bank account, no WeChat account.

• Pay with: Foreign bank cards (7 major networks incl. Visa/Mastercard), Apple Pay, and ~60 foreign e-wallets (expanding).

• Accepted: Anywhere WeChat Pay is accepted — tens of millions of merchants across China.

• Caveat: Brand-new app (Sept 2026); keep a backup payment method and verify the current feature list inside the app.

What is TenPayGo?

Tencent unveiled TenPayGo on September 24, 2026, at an international payments event in Shenzhen (per Tencent's launch announcement). It is a standalone app developed by the WeChat Pay team — and notably, Tencent's first mobile payment product designed specifically for inbound tourists, rather than a domestic product retrofitted for foreigners.

The core idea is simple. WeChat Pay's strength in China has always come from tying payments to a person's identity, phone number, and social network — and for tourists, those same ties were the main obstacle. Setting up WeChat Pay or Alipay as a visitor meant wrestling with phone-number verification, ID checks, and interfaces that sometimes fell back to Chinese at the worst moment. TenPayGo starts from the tourist's side instead: register with an email address — no Chinese phone number, no Chinese bank account, not even a WeChat account required. Link a payment method you already have, and every purchase is charged to it directly. There is no separate balance to top up and no Chinese bank account to open.

It works wherever WeChat Pay is accepted, which means tens of millions of shops, restaurants, markets, and attractions across China. You scan the same QR codes local users scan, and the money comes from your own card or wallet.

How do I set up TenPayGo before my trip?

Setup is the whole selling point, so do it before you fly — the goal is landing with payments already working.

1. Download the app. TenPayGo is live on both the App Store and Google Play. (Limited test versions circulated earlier in 2026; the full public launch was September 24.)

2. Sign up with your email address. This single change removes the biggest historical headache for visitors: the mainland phone-number requirement that used to send tourists to airport counters on day one.

3. Link a payment method. At launch, TenPayGo supported international bank cards from seven major card networks — including Visa and Mastercard — plus Apple Pay and foreign e-wallets. Tencent said roughly 60 overseas wallets would be connected, with the first batch (including Singapore's Starryblu) already live. Check the current list inside the app, since coverage is still expanding.

4. Pay by scanning. At any merchant, open the app's QR scanner and scan the merchant's code — the same flow hundreds of millions of WeChat Pay users use daily. Each transaction is charged to your linked card or wallet.

The interface is English-first, built around a wallet tab, a services tab, and the scanner front and center, with a transaction history view so you can track spending as you go.

Should I use TenPayGo, Alipay, or WeChat Pay?

• Signup: TenPayGo needs only an email address; Alipay and WeChat Pay need a phone number plus ID verification (often the sticking point).

• Chinese phone number needed: TenPayGo — no. Alipay — no, but verification can be fiddly. WeChat Pay — frequently required in practice.

• Linked methods: TenPayGo — foreign cards, Apple Pay, ~60 foreign e-wallets. Alipay — foreign cards (Visa, Mastercard, etc.). WeChat Pay — foreign cards.

• Accepted at: TenPayGo — the WeChat Pay network (tens of millions of merchants). Alipay — the Alipay network (similarly huge). WeChat Pay — the WeChat Pay network.

• Extras: TenPayGo — menu translation, landmark ID, Shenzhen transit codes (more coming). Alipay — full super-app: ride-hailing, metro codes, mini-programs. WeChat Pay — full super-app: messaging, restaurant mini-programs.

• Maturity: TenPayGo — brand new (Sept 2026). Alipay and WeChat Pay — years of foreign-user support.

The honest take: if you've already set up Alipay with your foreign card and it works, you don't urgently need TenPayGo — Alipay's coverage is just as broad and its tourist support is mature. TenPayGo's real audience is the traveler who bounced off Alipay or WeChat Pay signup, or who prefers one lightweight app to a super-app. It's also the path of least resistance if your home e-wallet is among the supported ones — you may barely need to learn a new payment flow at all. For a one-to-two-week trip, this tourist payment app is now arguably the easiest way to pay in China.

What else can TenPayGo do besides payments?

Payments are only part of the pitch. At launch, TenPayGo also offered photo-based landmark and object identification, AI-powered menu translation (point your camera at a Chinese menu), and a ride code for Shenzhen's metro and buses that needs no phone number or transit card. Tencent has said more is on the roadmap: public-transport ticketing beyond Shenzhen and departure tax refunds, with Shenzhen first in line.

Treat the feature list as moving. Check the app's own Services tab for what's actually live when you travel — launch-month promises and year-end reality can differ.

What are TenPayGo's limitations?

• It's brand new. Launch-month apps have launch-month bugs, and a merchant's staff may never have heard of TenPayGo if something goes wrong at the till. Always have a backup: a second wallet or some cash. Our payments guide covers the two-wallet strategy that has saved countless trips.

• Details are still changing. The wallet list, transport coverage, and tax-refund features are all expanding through the end of 2026. Verify inside the app itself, not from any blog post — including this one.

• Fees come from your linked method, not TenPayGo. Your bank's foreign-transaction fees and exchange rate apply to every purchase. The ¥200/3% fee rule that governs Alipay and WeChat Pay wallet transactions is a wallet-operator policy — check how your linked card or wallet is charged before a large purchase.

• Short trips are the sweet spot. If you're staying in China long-term, you'll probably still want full Alipay or WeChat Pay eventually — TenPayGo is optimized for visits, not for living in China. And whatever you choose, make sure your phone has data from minute one: see our staying-online guide for eSIM setup before departure.

FAQ

Do I need a Chinese phone number for TenPayGo?

No — that's the entire point of the app. You sign up with an email address, which removes the mainland phone-number requirement that used to block tourists from Chinese payment apps. No Chinese bank account or WeChat account is needed either.

Which cards and wallets does TenPayGo accept?

At launch: international bank cards from seven major card networks (including Visa and Mastercard), Apple Pay, and foreign e-wallets — Tencent said roughly 60 overseas wallets would be supported, with the first batch already live. Check the current list inside the app, as coverage is expanding.

Where can I use TenPayGo in China?

Anywhere WeChat Pay is accepted — tens of millions of shops, restaurants, and attractions nationwide. You scan the same QR codes local users scan. Extra features like transit ride codes launched in Shenzhen first and are steadily expanding to other cities.

Should I still set up Alipay if I have TenPayGo?

For a one-to-two-week trip, TenPayGo alone may be enough. But a backup payment method is always wise with a brand-new app — if you've already got Alipay working with your foreign card, keep it. Our payments guide walks through setting up both before you fly.

Further reading

• How to Pay in China — Alipay/WeChat Pay setup and the two-wallet strategy

• Staying Connected: eSIM & Internet — data from minute one, which mobile payments depend on

• Getting Around China — metro ride codes, DiDi, and taxi payment basics

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