How to: Alipay Account Sign Up / Set Up and Verification for Foreigners in China 2014

This is a simple How To on how to Sign up / Set Up and Verify an Alipay account as a Foreigner in China

 

UPDATE: This has been updated as suggested in the comments! Thank you so much for the Comments – Keep them Coming so we can keep this guide updated!

Checklist of what you will need:

1. Passport Scan

2. Visa Scan

3. Latest Entry Scan

4. China Bank account in your name with working Log In

(I suggest Bank of China as they have a non-usb code generator you can ask for or ICBC)

 

As suggested in the Comments – TURN GOOGLE TRANSLATE OFF – if you have it turned one, before you advance to any other steps – Google Translate tends to break the forms when you try to submit them!

Step 1: Sign Up

Visit: http://www.alipay.com/

 

 

 

Click the REGISTER WITH EMAIL LINK

** DO NOT REGISTER WITH YOUR PHONE NUMBER – YOU WILL NOT BE SHOWN THE FOREIGNER OPTIONS AND WILL FAIL!!  **

 

 

 

Step 2: Check Your Got E-Mail!

 

Step 3: Enter Your Chinese Phone Number or Phone number in your country if you are not in China and then enter the Confirmation Code sent to you via SMS.

 

 

Step 4: Enter you address and other information

The first field requires you to create an account password. Remember it must be 6-20 letters, and have
one lower case letter and one uppercase letter/number/character. Retype it in the next field.

Next you must create your payment password –
it is very important for the future that you remember the difference between your payment and account password. Enter it in the field, and
retype it into the next field.

The login password will be used to log in and the payment password will be used as the final step to confirm a Payment.

The third section is a security question. The first choice on the drop down box is your father’s name, and the second is your mother’s
name. To avoid later confusion, probably best opt for one of these.

 

 

– Fill in your name

As suggested by Brad:  You have to enter it EXACTLY as it is recorded by your bank. In particular, the name turned out to be LASTNAMEFIRSTNAMEMIDDLENAME —no spaces, all uppercase. Maybe your name has also been entered unusually. I was able to check this through internet banking with ICBC, the bank I’m using.

– Gender (男- man 女- woman,)

– ID pick – 护照

– Passport Number

– Job (just pick anything)

-Your address in Chinese if possible.

 

 

Step 5: First Part Done

 

Step 6: Verify your account Using your Bank account.

1. Log in to Alipay with the account you just created

2. Click on the buttons below

Step 7: Choose Foreigner and Confirm you agree to the Terms and Click the orange Verify Now button

NOTE: Dhaka said: “I didn’t see this screen at all. On the screen that I encountered, the “expatriate” option was the last link in a horizontal link on the right side of the page.”

 

 

Step 7: Fill in your info and upload Passport and Entry Stamp/Visa Scan

NOTE: Make sure to upload your VISA + ENTRY STAMP – not just the VISA – If you VISA and ENTRY STAMP are on different pages – use something like Paint or Photoshop to combine the two pages into one image and upload!

 

Step 8: Fill in your info Bank Account info

 NOTE: Make sure you use your Full Name EXACTLY AS on your Bank Account, the ORDER of your name/surname is also important – even perhaps try to log in to you internet banking and check the name from there.

 

Step 9: ALMOST DONE – Wait for Money to appear in your Bank Account

If everything is correct you should see this screen – now wait for 1-2 Days for a small amount of money to be deposited into your account – less than 1 RMB

 

– Once you have received this – make note of the amount and log back in to Alipay

 

Step 10: Final Step Confirm your account

– Click on these buttons again

 

– Now Click on this button – then enter the amount transferred into you account on the next step an CONFIRM!!

 

You Should now see this image. YOU NOW HAVE A CONFIRMED ALIPAY ACCOUNT!

 

 

***Once your Alipay account is set up, simply log in to Taobao using your alipay username and login password, and a New Taobao Account will be created, which is linked to the Alipay account.*** – Thank you Beth for your suggestion to add this.

Now you can use buy something on Taobao and Pay with your Chinese Bank Account via your Alipay, you can also transfer money into your Alipay from your Bank Account!