China began enforcing penalties on shops that refuse cash
From 1 February 2026, China began enforcing penalties on merchants who refuse cash. Alipay and WeChat Pay remain how almost everyone pays, and both let visitors link an international Visa or Mastercard, with the per-transaction limit raised to about 35,000 CNY in 2026.
Why it matters: Yuan in your pocket is a reliable backup again, even in a country where nearly every payment happens by phone.
China money guideThis is the permanent record of one change. The current fact lives on the guide linked above, which is re-checked on a schedule. For how we check and correct, see our methodology.