Accept the China payment methods your customers use: Alipay, WeChat Pay & UnionPay credit & debit
If you're only processing UnionPay credit cards, you're missing 90% of Chinese cardholders. Add Alipay, WeChat Pay, and UnionPay debit to your eCommerce checkout and recover abandoned Chinese sales.
You're already selling to China—but missing most customers
If you only process UnionPay credit cards, you're reaching just 10% of Chinese cardholders. The other 90% use UnionPay debit cards that require specialized routing. Meanwhile, 80%+ of Chinese online shoppers prefer Alipay or WeChat Pay for eCommerce purchases.
Adding UnionPay debit + Alipay + WeChat Pay to your checkout recovers 40–60% of abandoned Chinese transactions.
Three China payment methods for eCommerce
UnionPay debit, Alipay, and WeChat Pay cover 95%+ of Chinese online shoppers—with settlement in USD, reporting in English, and integration into your existing checkout.
UnionPay credit/debit
China's primary card network. Most U.S. processors only support UnionPay credit (~10% of cards). You need specialized routing to accept debit.
- ~90% of UnionPay cards issued are debit
- Lower interchange and higher approval rates vs credit
- Preferred by Chinese consumers for online purchases
- Requires direct integration with UnionPay—not available through standard U.S. processors
Any company selling to China or has Chinese customers.
Alipay
China's dominant digital wallet with 1.3+ billion users. Customers pay from their Alipay balance during checkout—no card entry required.
- Integrated directly into your eCommerce checkout flow
- Customers pay in CNY, you receive settlement in USD
- No currency conversion friction for the customer
- One-tap payment from their existing Alipay wallet
Luxury goods, fashion, health & beauty, electronics, supplements. High-ticket eCommerce.
WeChat Pay
Embedded in China's largest social platform with 1.2+ billion monthly users. Customers pay inside the WeChat ecosystem.
- Customers check out using their WeChat wallet
- Settlement in USD via your merchant account
- Works seamlessly with social commerce experiences
- No new account creation, no extra friction
Fashion, beauty, cosmetics, health products, consumer goods. Social commerce and influencer-driven sales.
Payment method comparison
How Alipay, WeChat Pay, and UnionPay options compare on reach, performance, and cost.
| Feature | Alipay | WeChat Pay | UnionPay Credit / Debit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical authorization rate | 95%+ | 95%+ | Credit 70–85% / Debit 90–95% |
| Settlement currency | USD/HKD/EUR | USD/HKD/EUR | USD/HKD/EUR |
| Customer pays in | CNY/HKD | CNY/HKD | CNY/HKD |
| Typical processing cost | 2–3% | 2–3% | Credit 3–4% / Debit 2.5–3.5% |
| Available with standard U.S. processors? | No | No | Credit: Yes / Debit: No |
Who this works for
eCommerce brands selling to Chinese customers—especially in categories where Chinese consumers shop cross-border online.
Luxury fashion & accessories
High-ticket apparel, handbags, jewelry, and accessories where Chinese customers prefer buying from U.S. and European brands directly. UnionPay debit + Alipay + WeChat Pay reduce cart abandonment and increase average order value.
Health, beauty & cosmetics
Skincare, cosmetics, supplements, and health products with strong demand from Chinese consumers. These categories see high cross-border eCommerce volume and benefit from familiar payment methods.
Consumer electronics & tech
Smartphones, laptops, wearables, and tech accessories. Chinese customers research products domestically but often purchase internationally for authenticity and selection.
Specialty goods & collectibles
Limited edition products, collectibles, sporting goods, and niche categories with Chinese customer demand. Local payment methods signal legitimacy and reduce payment friction.
Why work with Paytrinsic for China payments
Our team has over a decade of experience implementing UnionPay, Alipay, and WeChat Pay for U.S. eCommerce brands. You get direct access to specialists who understand China payment routing and optimization.
UnionPay debit expertise
Most processors support UnionPay credit but don't route debit properly. Our team has decades of experience implementing UnionPay debit integrations for U.S. eCommerce companies. If you're already processing UnionPay credit, we add debit routing so you can reach the other 90% of Chinese cardholders.
eCommerce platform integration
We integrate Alipay, WeChat Pay, and UnionPay debit into Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, BigCommerce, and custom platforms. Single integration, CNY currency display handled, settlement in USD. Your team gets testing support and go-live assistance.
Ongoing optimization and monitoring
We monitor approval rates, track cart abandonment, and identify optimization opportunities. Quarterly reviews show performance by payment method. As your China market grows, we help you optimize routing and add capabilities without switching providers.
Results our clients see
eCommerce brands adding China payment methods see immediate cart abandonment reduction and revenue increases from Chinese customers.
Direct-to-consumer brand, $8M annual China sales
Solution: Added Alipay + WeChat Pay + UnionPay debit with CNY pricing display
Result: Cart abandonment dropped from 62% to 33%. Chinese customer conversion rate increased 2.8x. Average order value increased 12% (customers more comfortable paying in CNY).
Skincare & supplements eCommerce, $4.5M China market
Solution: Added UnionPay debit + Alipay + WeChat Pay to checkout
Result: Payment success rate improved from 71% to 94%. Chinese repeat purchase rate increased 34%. Customer acquisition cost for China market dropped 41% due to higher conversion rates.
Tech accessories brand, $12M annual revenue
Solution: Added UnionPay debit routing + Alipay + WeChat Pay options at checkout
Result: China market revenue grew from $1.8M to $4.1M year-over-year. Cart abandonment dropped to 29%. Payment-related support tickets decreased 76%.
Implementation process
Most eCommerce integrations go live in 2–4 weeks. We handle the technical and regulatory complexity so your team doesn't have to become experts in Chinese payment networks.
Payment method integration
We connect Alipay, WeChat Pay, and full UnionPay (credit + debit) into your eCommerce platform through a single integration. Supports Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, BigCommerce, and custom platforms.
Currency display and conversion
Customers see prices in CNY while you receive settlement in USD. We handle display logic and conversion behind the scenes. Your accounting stays simple.
Testing and go-live
We run test transactions with Chinese cards and wallets to verify routing, authorization, and settlement. Your team gets hands-on training and documentation. Typical go-live: 2–4 weeks for eCommerce, including network testing and verification.
Ongoing monitoring and optimization
We keep up with network updates, maintain connections to Chinese providers, and support your team as volumes grow. You stay current without tracking changes yourself.
Technical requirements
We work with most modern eCommerce platforms and custom stacks.
eCommerce platform compatibility
- Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, BigCommerce
- Custom eCommerce platforms and headless commerce
- Single API integration or hosted payment page options
What you need
- HTTPS eCommerce site
- Ability to display prices in CNY (or we can handle currency display for you)
- Developer access and a basic testing environment
Ready to accept the payment methods Chinese customers prefer?
Schedule a 30-minute consultation. We'll review your eCommerce checkout, explain how to add UnionPay credit/debit + Alipay + WeChat Pay, and show how you can reduce cart abandonment from Chinese customers.
Questions? See our complete FAQ