How to accept WeChat Pay and Alipay in the US
If Chinese customers walk into your store or visit your site, there is a good chance they...
If Chinese customers walk into your store or visit your site, there is a good chance they expect to pay with WeChat Pay or Alipay. Here is what accepting them actually involves — the requirements, the cost, the settlement, and what changes at your counter.
- What you need
- US business licence / EIN, a US bank account, owner ID
- Setup time
- Apply online in minutes; approval typically takes a few business days
- Cost
- 2.5% standard, dropping to 1.95% above $20K annual volume. No monthly fee
- Settlement
- USD to your US bank account, T+2 business days
- Chinese entity required
- No
What actually happens when a customer pays
Your customer opens the app they already use, scans a QR code at your counter (or taps a payment button on your site) and confirms. They are charged in RMB from their Chinese account.
Behind that, the payment network converts the funds through partner banks and settles US dollars into your US bank account. You never handle RMB, never quote an exchange rate, and never open an account in China.
From your side it looks like any other payment: an amount, a confirmation, a line in your daily settlement.
What you need to apply
Three things: your US business licence or EIN, the US bank account you want the money in, and a photo ID for the owner or principal. That is the same paperwork any US payment processor asks for.
You do not need a Chinese business entity, a Chinese bank account, or a Chinese phone number. This is the single most common misconception, and it stops merchants who would qualify today.
What it costs and when you get paid
The standard rate is 2.5% for WeChat Pay and Alipay, falling to 1.95% once you pass $20,000 in annual volume, and negotiable above $250,000. There is no monthly fee and no long-term contract.
Cross-border payments settle T+2 business days in USD. US credit card payments, if you take those through the same account, settle T+1.
What changes in your store
For most merchants: very little. A countertop QR stand costs nothing to operate and works from day one. If you want scanning built into checkout, a HantePay smart terminal takes WeChat Pay, Alipay, UnionPay and US credit cards on one device, so you keep one reconciliation rather than two.
Online, it is a payment button on your existing checkout — via API, SDK or a WooCommerce plugin — not a redirect to an unfamiliar third-party page.
Frequently asked
Do I need a business entity in China?
No. A US business licence or EIN and a US bank account are enough. Funds settle in USD to your US account.
Do my customers need to install anything?
No. They use the WeChat or Alipay app they already have. Nothing changes on their side.
Do I receive RMB or USD?
USD. The customer pays in RMB; conversion happens in the payment network, and your US bank account receives US dollars.
How long does approval take?
Applying online takes a few minutes. Approval typically takes a few business days once your documents are in.
Can I accept both in person and online?
Yes, through the same merchant account — countertop QR, mobile terminal, and web or app checkout all report into one place.