Top Payment Methods in Chinese E-Commerce (2025)

China leads the world in digital payments, with Alipay and WeChat Pay accounting for over 90% of mobile transactions online and offline. Consumers have widely adopted these platforms, making mobile wallets the core method for e-commerce.

1. Mobile Wallets: Alipay & WeChat Pay

• Mobile wallet dominance: In 2024, mobile payments made up 73.2% of total transactions in China.
  
• User base: WeChat Pay alone had over 1.13 billion active users by 2023.
  
• Super-app functions: Both platforms offer more than payments—banking, messaging, shopping, and services are integrated.
  
• Technology leaders: QR-based payments are standard, with innovations like biometric “Smile to Pay” increasingly common.
  

2. UnionPay Cards & QuickPass

• State-backed network: UnionPay is China’s only interbank card network, and globally, it surpassed Visa and Mastercard by transaction volume as early as 2015.
  
• UnionPay QuickPass: Launched in 2017, QuickPass supports both QR and NFC transactions, bridging mobile and traditional payments.
  

3. Cash & Physical Cards

• Still relevant: In 2024, 63.5% of payments continued using cash, and 46.4% were made via physical cards.
  
• Government effort: Officials are increasing cash and foreign card acceptance to ensure financial inclusivity for seniors and tourists.
  

4. Emerging Methods: Wearables, BNPL & Digital Yuan

• Wearables: Smartwatch and wearable payments made up about 14% of transactions in 2024.
  
• BNPL growth: Buy-Now-Pay-Later is expanding rapidly, reaching a market value of $122 billion in China by 2025, growing at an annual rate of 12.1%.
  
• Digital yuan pilot: The e-CNY continues in phased deployment since 2020, aiming to integrate with China’s digital ecosystems.
  

Market Size & Growth

• Mobile payments market: Valued at $15.86 billion in 2025 and projected to grow to $78.23 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate of approximately 38%.
  
• Transaction volume: By mid-2024, 954 million Chinese were active mobile payment users.
  

Comparison Table

Trends & Forecast

1. Continued mobile wallet dominance: QR-based wallets will remain the backbone of both online and in-person transactions.
   
2. BNPL expansion: Expected to grow as consumers seek flexible payment solutions.
   
3. Wearable and contactless surge: Tech-driven users are increasingly adopting smart and seamless payment methods.
   
4. Digital yuan integration: The e-CNY will become more embedded in consumer and government transactions.
   
5. Inclusivity uplift: National policy encourages businesses to support multiple payment formats to cater to all demographics, including tourists and the elderly.
   

Business Recommendations

• Enable Alipay and WeChat Pay: These are essential for reaching the majority of Chinese consumers.
  
• Support UnionPay: Important for traditional card users and increasing transaction flexibility.
  
• Adopt BNPL and wearable payment options: Useful for attracting younger, digitally savvy shoppers.
  
• Prepare for digital yuan integration: Stay ahead by aligning infrastructure with upcoming regulatory shifts.
  
• Offer inclusive payment options: Maintain access to cash and major international cards to ensure accessibility and user trust.
  

China’s e-commerce payment environment in 2025 is led by mobile wallets—Alipay and WeChat Pay—while UnionPay cards, cash, and emerging solutions like BNPL, wearables, and digital yuan play important supporting roles. With rapid innovation, growing transaction volumes, and evolving consumer behavior, businesses must implement a flexible and inclusive payment strategy to thrive in the Chinese market.