TL;DR โ OCBC Digital (v16-plus) is now Alipay+ enabled.
Launch the app โ tap "Scan & Pay (Overseas)" โ the QR goes through UnionPay / Alipay+ rails and debits your SGD account at mid-market FX (no markup under S$1 000). It works at 99% of merchants I tried in Shanghai & Hangzhou. Bring WeChat Pay as backup for taxis.
๐ธ๐ฌ Why OCBC?
- Official Alipay+ partner โ OCBC joined Alipay+ in late-2023, beating DBS & UOB to market.
- No pre-top-up โ Money leaves your SGD account only when you scan, unlike topping up Alipay with Wise.
- Better FX โ Reddit users report OCBC rate โ 0.2% from Google mid-rate.
- Low small-ticket fee โ Purchases โค ยฅ200 are fee-free; above that OCBC passes on Alipay's 3% cross-border fee.
๐ฒ One-Time Setup (3 min)
- Update OCBC Digital to the latest version on iOS/Android (look for "Scan & Pay Overseas" in the shortcuts tray).
- Enable Overseas QR โ under "Pay & Transfer" toggle Alipay+ / UnionPay Acceptance.
- Travel pass โ OCBC auto-activates once the app detects a China network (no SMS OTP needed).
- Daily limit defaults to SGD 1 000; raise it in Settings โ Payment Limits if you plan to splurge on hot-pot.
๐๏ธ Tip: Set your default account to an OCBC 360ยฐ or FRANK sub-account to keep your spending ring-fenced.
๐ธ Using It In China โ Live Demo
| Step | What you see (OCBC) | What the cashier sees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tap Scan โ point at merchant's blue Alipay/WeChat/UnionPay QR | Their till beeps "Alipay+ ๆฏไปๆๅ" |
| 2 | FX preview pops-up โ eg. ยฅ48.00 โ S$9.02 | โ |
| 3 | Thumbprint / Face ID | POS prints a ยฅ receipt |
Works at: FamilyMart, Didi kiosk, KFC, most mom-and-pop (look for ๆฏไปๅฎ or ไบ้ชไป logo).
Fails at: Some Beijing taxis (they hard-code WeChat Mini-App). Always keep ~ยฅ200 cash.
๐ฐ Fees & FX
| Amount (SGD โ CNY) | OCBC Spread | Cross-border Fee | Effective Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| โค S$40 (โยฅ200) | 0% spread | Free | S$1 โ โยฅ5.00 |
| S$40 โ 1 000 | 0.2% spread | 3% Alipay intl. fee | ~3.2% all-in |
| > S$1 000 / day | Declined unless limit raised | 3% | ~3.2% |
๐ WeChat vs. OCBC App
| Feature | OCBC Scan | WeChat (+SG card) |
|---|---|---|
| Sign-up speed | 3 min | 10 min (passport selfie) |
| FX rate | Mid-market - 0.2% | Bank rate + โ2% |
| Fees โค ยฅ200 | 0% | 3% |
| Pay friends (P2P) | No | Yes (but 3% fee) |
| Merchant coverage | 90% | 95% |
| App language | English | Mostly English, some CN pop-ups |
๐ค FAQ
Q1: Do I need an Alipay CN account?
No. OCBC uses Alipay+ QR; your CN-only Alipay wallet can stay empty.
Q2: Can I split bills with Chinese friends?
Not yet โ OCBC QR is merchant-only. Ask a friend to pay via WeChat P2P and reimburse cash/GrabPay later.
Q3: Any horror stories?
A few users saw "merchant not supported" pop-ups in tier-3 cities; just fall back to cash.
โ๏ธ Pro Tips Before You Fly
- Screenshot your OCBC Scan & Pay barcode; China airports sometimes throttle roaming data on arrival.
- Bring a backup Visa/Mastercard that supports UnionPay QuickPass (UOB Lady's, Revolut, Amaze) for offline terminals.
- Pair your phone with WeChat Pay anyway โ acceptance is still fractionally higher for ride-hailing.
๐ SEO Recap
Primary keyword: how to pay in China using OCBC app
LSI keywords: OCBC Alipay+, OCBC scan and pay China, Singaporean pay in China 2025, OCBC UnionPay QR
Internal links:
[Ultimate WeChat Pay Guide](/how-to-pay-in-china-using-wechat)[2025 Foreigners Update](/how-to-pay-in-china-as-a-foreigner-2025)
Last updated: June 2025