Currency and Payment

1. Currency

China's currency is Renminbi, which is abbreviated as RMB or CNY. 1 US dollar is roughly RMB 7.1 (as of September 19, 2024).

Overseas visitors can exchange foreign currency for RMB in advance before entering China (RMB 20,000 is allowed per person each entry/exit).

After entry, currency exchange can be done at the counters of commercial banks, foreign currency exchange agencies, self-service exchange machines at international airports, land border crossings, ports, and other entry points. You may also use international bank cards to withdraw RMB cash through ATMs.

Currency exchange service at Chengdu Tianfu International Airport: Located in Terminal 1, the Payment Service Center also offers help to set up mobile payment.

Shangri-La Hotel offers US Dollar and Euro exchange for RMB.

Currency exchange service near the Shangri-La Hotel：

Bank of China (Chengdu Jinjiang Sub-Branch Dongdajie Sub-Branch) is located at No. 35, Zidonglou Section, Dongdajie Street, Jinjiang District, Chengdu, 691 meters from Shangri-La Hotel, and about 14 minutes' walk. The office hours are Monday to Friday 09:00-17:00.

The People's Bank of China (Sichuan Branch) is located at No. 15, South Section 2, Second Ring Road, Wuhou District, Chengdu, 4.9 km from Shangri-La Hotel, and office hours from Monday to Friday 08:30-12:00 and 14:00-17:30.

2. Credit Card

MasterCard and VISA can be used in China (with some exceptions).    

3. Mobile Payment

Foreign participants may wish to set up mobile payment, which is the primary payment method in China. To activate mobile payment, please download and install WeChat or Alipay in your phone, register according to the guidance, and enter foreign or Chinese mobile phone numbers and other information required.

To use mobile payment, please scan the shop’s QR code or present your payment QR code with the apps. Notes for binding international bank cards:

To use Alipay or WeChat requires the authorization of foreign card-issuing banks. Some card-issuing banks may reject the authorization because the system cannot recognize the authorization information. In such case, it is recommended to contact the customer service of the issuing bank or use a domestic bank card instead.

Once the international bank cards are bound with Alipay or WeChat, the user does not need to pay any additional service fee if a payment does not exceed RMB200; and needs to pay a service fee at around 3% of the transaction amount if the payment exceeds RMB200.

The annual limit for Alipay or WeChat bound with international bank cards is USD 50,000, with a single transaction limit of USD 5,000.

Please refer to the following pictures for registration and use of Alipay. If there is any difficulties, please feel free to contact Alipay English service at: +86-57126886000.

Users of e-wallets such as Alipay HK, Wechatpay HK (Hong Kong SAR), mPay (Macao SAR), Kakao Pay (South Korea), Touch’n Go eWallet (Malaysia), HiPay (Mongolia), Changi Pay (Singapore), OCBC Bank (Singapore), Naver Pay (South Korea), Toss Pay (South Korea), and TrueMoney (Thailand) can make direct payments by scanning QR code in the Chinese.