How to collect payments from customers in China
Selling to someone in China is easy. Getting paid is where it falls apart — wires take...
Selling to someone in China is easy. Getting paid is where it falls apart — wires take days, arrive short, and sometimes bounce back. Here is the alternative, and who it is for.
- Who this is for
- Schools, agencies, car dealers, e-commerce, professional services
- The problem it replaces
- International wires: slow, expensive, often short on arrival
- How it works
- You send a payment link; they pay in RMB from WeChat or Alipay
- What you receive
- The exact USD amount, in your US bank account
- Chinese entity required
- No
Why wires keep failing you
An international wire from China passes through correspondent banks, each of which may take a cut. The amount that lands is frequently less than the invoice, so your finance team spends the following week chasing the difference.
It is also slow and fragile: forms to fill, FX quotas to clear, several business days in transit, and a real chance of rejection that sends everything back to the start.
For a tuition payment at enrolment, or a deposit on a car someone wants to drive away this week, that timeline is the deal.
How payment links change the timeline
You raise the amount in USD and send a link by email, SMS or WeChat. The payer opens it in China, pays with the wallet they already use, and it is done in minutes.
Because the amount is denominated in USD, what settles to you is exactly what you invoiced. No intermediary deductions, no shortfall to reconcile.
Each payment carries its reference — a student name, an invoice number, a vehicle — so it arrives already matched.
Who uses this most
Education agencies and schools collecting tuition and service fees from parents at home. Car dealers taking a balance from a buyer's family. Cross-border e-commerce and SaaS billing Chinese customers. Professional services invoicing clients in China.
The common thread: the payer is in China, the invoice is in dollars, and the timeline matters.
Frequently asked
Is there a limit on how much can be collected?
Limits depend on the payment method and the payer's own account. UnionPay generally suits the largest tickets, which is why car dealers and schools tend to use it.
Do I need a Chinese entity or bank account?
No. You invoice in USD and receive USD in your US bank account.
Can I collect a deposit now and the balance later?
Yes — send separate links, or split into instalments. Each is tracked independently.