BEIJING - using cash???

[cruising42JVJ]

We are going to Beijing after our 30-day Far East Discovery Cruise in Jan/Feb 2020.  My BIL is currently in Beijing on business and has told us that restaurants are not accepting local cash currency, only the Chinese WeChat or AliPay mobile payment system (phone app).  Has anyone as a tourist had experience with restaurants refusing  either US$ or local currency, since the Chinese version of WeChat needs a Chinese bank account to work.  I appreciate an advice my fellow Critics can provide!

[kazu]

I would never expect to use U.S. $ in Asia or many other countries.

 

From what I have read here - https://www.thechinaguide.com/blog/chinese-currency

 

the local currency is no problem.

 

I would recommend you visit the Asia port boards and post the same question there.

 

The odds are you will get more responses from those familiar and perhaps you may find some posts.  I have been there pretty recently and didn’t see any alerts to your BIL’s situation he is relating but things can change quickly in any country.

[cruising42JVJ]

Thanks for the info, Kazu!

 

I’m from Calgary, but thought I would mention about US$ because there are more Americans on CC.  I’ll check out your recommendations.  We travel a fair bit (16th cruise-min.17 days), but we mainly cruise European ports.  Preparing for this trip has been an eye-opener.  I think my BIL is running into this non-cash situation because he is working with locals and the restaurants assume he is a local as well.

 

Thanks again!  Already feeling better🥰

 

[Ellen495]

I was in Beijing last summer (not on a cruise). Even getting cash is hard. You need to bring crisp, new 100 US bills to exchange. ATM's are difficult to use. Exchange cash in US and bring it. That's my suggestion. I was there for 17 days (all over China). I brought 1000 in Chinese currency and had American hundreds. We were able to use cash at restaurants, but not credit cards. Be sure to get a VPN if you want to use internet. I used Panda VPN which was free. Have fun!

[USN59-79]

Ellen495 is right about having pristine bills to exchange.  We have spent a lot of time in China including a month in Shanghai.  Never had a problem changing U.S. $ to renminbi.  Most local banks exchange money.  Just need your passport and fill in a form.  I just get 50 and 100 dollar bills at my local credit union before I leave and tell them they need to be in very good shape and we never had a problem.  The exchange rate at a bank in China is always very close to the posted international rate and there are no extra fees.

[ChinaShrek]

I never bring US dollars while traveling abroad and I have been to China 11 times over 20 years. Unless something has changed within the last year, there are tons of ATMs in Shanghai, Xian, and Beijing. Most four and five star hotels have them. All Chinese airports have them. Shopping centers have them. You are inviting being robbed when you carry cash and the exchange rate will be better at the ATM.

Edited November 17, 2019 by ChinaShrek

[RocketMan275]

2 hours ago, cruising42JVJ said:

We are going to Beijing after our 30-day Far East Discovery Cruise in Jan/Feb 2020.  My BIL is currently in Beijing on business and has told us that restaurants are not accepting local cash currency, only the Chinese WeChat or AliPay mobile payment system (phone app).  Has anyone as a tourist had experience with restaurants refusing  either US$ or local currency, since the Chinese version of WeChat needs a Chinese bank account to work.  I appreciate an advice my fellow Critics can provide!

Read in the Wall Street Journal, or perhaps Market Watch, that it many travelers have had difficulty paying with cash or credit cards in China.  Travelers often resorted to begging Chinese customers to take their cash in return for the Chinese paying their tabs with WeChat.  The problems isn't travelers having local currency, it's a problem with Chinese establishments do not want the hassles of handling cash.

[ChinaShrek]

35 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Read in the Wall Street Journal, or perhaps Market Watch, that it many travelers have had difficulty paying with cash or credit cards in China.  Travelers often resorted to begging Chinese customers to take their cash in return for the Chinese paying their tabs with WeChat.  The problems isn't travelers having local currency, it's a problem with Chinese establishments do not want the hassles of handling cash.

 

If this is true then this is another way for the Chinese government to monitor people. Cash is anonymous. WeChat is not. It is completely controlled by the Chinese government.  In fact, when you sign up for WeChat, you agree to allow WeCht access to your pictures on your phone.  I took video of some things on a trip last year that were later deleted from my phone!

[Ellen495]

Well I was there with my adopted daughter from China on a heritage tour. In fairness I was with a Chinese guide and my daughter who speaks some of the language so maybe it was "easier," for us to use cash. It was definitely easier than using a credit card. I was able to use my card in Shanghai at a nice restaurant. Yes, there were cash machines in some of the nicer hotels, but I found it easier to just have the cash. I never worried about being robbed (beyond the concern in any large city of course). It's certainly an experience more than a vacation. I treasure the memories.

Ellen

[asebastian]

We were in China (Beijing, Xi'an, Zhangzhou, Hangzhou, Suzhou and Shanghai) just 4 weeks ago. Cash from ATMs are easily obtained (we used Bank of China); minimum is RMB500, then it goes up 1000, 2000. Exchange rates were favorable. While the Chinese have a preference for eWallet payments (WePay and AliPay), you can still pay cash (yuan only) or CC in larger stores/restaurants. Everyone else still accept cash, even taxis, especially if you're a foreigner.

 

We didn't see many foreign exchange places, except in the airports and railway stations. I would say if you're traveling deeper into the country, they may not even want to accept foreign currency due to their unfamiliarity.

 

I loaded up a debit card and used it in the ATMs. My 2c worth - don't carry a lot of cash ($), just use the ATMs as you go along and you'll be fine. Contrary to what someone else said above, ATMs are not difficult to use, you get a couple of opportunities to switch the language to English during your transaction.

[Balliett]

Wall Street Journal had an article about this issue on 11-11-19.  I posted info on Asia board  (title: Welcome to China. You can't buy anything tho) and there are two replies with recent personal experience

[cruising42JVJ]

Thanks everyone for your responses...it’s wonderful to draw on so many peoples’ experiences!  Really looking forward to this Asia cruise and our time in Beijing😊

[old mike]

We're also from Calgary and we were on the Westerdam in Asia last fall.  I purchased local currency for all the countries we visited before boarding the ship.

 

I asked for small denomination bills, my intent was to get the equivalent to 5 or 10 canadian dollars, when I went to the bank to pick up the requested currencies I was met with stacks of bills that would have needed a small truck to haul away. They had miscommunicated the request to the currency supplier who had sent small denomination local currency notes, the teller offered to accompany us on the cruise and carry the several suitcases that would have been needed..

The bank did eventually change the notes for me.