Cash in China: ATMs, Foreign Cards and Exchange

How much cash should I carry?

Carry ¥200 to ¥500 in yuan as a back-up, and use apps for the rest. Many small places want a QR code, and one commenter wrote that “your physical credit cards will be useless in 99% of places” (r/guangzhou, October 7, 2026). The PBOC’s March 2024 guide, reported by China Daily, covers cards, cash, mobile payment and e-CNY. An analyst quoted there said the number of ATMs should not fall because many foreigners still use cash more often.

iPhoto: N509FZ · CC BY-SA 4.0 Details

Set up the apps first: Alipay and WeChat Pay for foreigners. If a payment fails, cash is your plan B. If you have no Chinese number for the sign-up text, read no Chinese phone number.

Where can I withdraw cash with a foreign card?

Use a bank ATM displaying your card’s logo, preferably Bank of China (中国银行) or ICBC (工商银行). These names, and the fee, PIN and limit figures below, come from third-party guides we could not trace to a primary source, not from an official list or from Wise’s page. The Bank of China English site did not give ATM detail we could cite.

These figures are unconfirmed. Ask your home bank about overseas withdrawal fees and PIN length before you go. Another poster said the bank gave them “a hard time” with cash, so do not plan on a bank counter.

Wise, which sells a competing money service, advises choosing the local currency (yuan) when an ATM or card terminal offers a choice, making fewer, larger withdrawals to limit repeated fees, and checking whether your bank has partnerships with Chinese banks. That is a vendor’s advice, so compare it with your own bank’s terms.

Where do I exchange money?

Banks and airport counters are the practical choices. Exchanging cash is one way to get yuan; an ATM withdrawal with a foreign card is the other.

• Baiyun Airport. A government report of April 8, 2024 (en.by.gov.cn) on airport tourist services said the airport had seven currency exchange centres and a counter for overseas visitors, and a Guangzhou report listed foreign-card ATMs near a payment demonstration zone. The report page was not reachable when this guide was checked, so the figure comes from its summary, and no current hours or terminal list was found. Check the signs on arrival or the airport’s own information.
• City counters. Wise’s list of Guangzhou money changers includes entries at the airport and in Yuexiu, Liwan and Tianhe, plus a State Administration of Foreign Exchange branch. It is a third-party listing and we did not check any address or hours. Wise also says airports and hotels almost always give poor rates and high fees, which is also a competitor’s claim.
• Rate check. Compare the counter’s rate with the current mid-market rate before you hand over cash, and keep the receipt.

See Baiyun Airport to the city for the next step of your journey.

A TripAdvisor thread of about 2024 warned “if you do not take cash or this app, you will be staying in the airport forever”. That is one old post, but it is why a small amount of cash helps on arrival.

How can I tell a genuine banknote?

Official sources on this are thin, so treat the list as basics. China Services Info, an English portal of the Chinese government, publishes a guide to spotting counterfeit renminbi. It says to look for a clear, three-dimensional watermark and accurate colours, to touch the raised intaglio printing and check for even thickness, and to listen for the crisp sound of genuine paper when flicked. It says a note that turns out to be false should not be used again and should be handed to a bank or the police. Its 2019 report on the fifth series says the new notes have brighter colours and adjusted patterns with enhanced anti-counterfeiting features.

If a shop refuses a note, or a stranger offers an exchange, use bank or airport counters instead.

Should I tip?

Tipping is not expected in most places. Travel China Guide, a commercial travel site, says tipping is not a must, that tipping is not necessary in taxis or in roadside eateries and quality Chinese restaurants, and that some bills already include a 5% to 15% service charge. It gives ¥10 to ¥30 for hotel bellboys, and a per-day guide tip for organised tours. These are third-party norms, not rules. Tipping an app driver is not covered by any source we found.

What does customs say about cash?

You may carry no more than ¥20,000 in yuan. Foreign currency itself is not limited, but foreign cash worth more than US$5,000 must be declared in the red channel. Details are in China customs: cash limits and allowances.

Can I pay by card instead of cash?

On the metro, yes. Foreign contactless cards work at marked gates (see the metro guide). For rides, Didi takes cards in its app (Didi guide). For most shops, use Alipay or WeChat.