Two directions of payment
Alipay and WeChat Pay each support two QR payment flows. In the first, the merchant displays a code and the customer scans it with the wallet app, then enters the amount or confirms a preset one. In the second, the customer opens a payment code in the app, a barcode and QR code that refreshes regularly, and the merchant scans it with a scanner or terminal.
These flows mirror the merchant-presented and consumer-presented modes found in other payment standards. Small vendors often use a printed merchant code, while supermarkets and chain stores more often scan the customer’s payment code.
Which apps can read them
Each ecosystem’s codes are generally read by its own app, so an Alipay merchant code is paid from Alipay and a WeChat Pay code from WeChat. Many merchants in China display both, or use an aggregated code from their payment provider that accepts either. A general QR scanner can decode the link but cannot complete the payment.
Both services have added ways for foreign visitors to link international bank cards, and Alipay also accepts some foreign wallets through partner programs. Availability and limits change over time, so travelers should check the current terms in each app.