The metro is easy. The payment is the part that stops people.
Choose a payment path for the city you are actually in, then keep a staffed-window or paper-ticket fallback. Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu publish gate acceptance within their stated conditions. Chongqing's confirmed service is card payment at staffed ticket windows—not foreign-card tapping at every gate.
- What was checked
- City government, metro operator and transport-authority notices for Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Chongqing: named card schemes, station or window scope, effective dates, passenger rules and published luggage conditions.
- Known limits
- Published acceptance does not guarantee that your card, account or phone will work. Fares, operating hours, lifts, item limits and last trains can change; check the operator and your actual station before travel.
A verified account and a funded card are two different checks.
One app may not cover every city. Each local service can require separate activation, real-name verification and a payment channel. A contactless card still needs a chip, small-amount password-free payment and available credit. Test both your app and card before joining a gate queue.
Beijing
- AT THE GATE
- All 29 lines, 523 stations and Suburban Railway S2 accept UnionPay, Mastercard, Visa, JCB and American Express at every fare gate during operating hours. Mastercard and Visa came first in September 2024; JCB and American Express followed on 15 June 2025.
- AT A WINDOW OR MACHINE
- Ticket machines and staffed counters sell single tickets; BEIJING PASS is a rechargeable card for overseas visitors, sold at airport arrival terminals and usable on transport and at selected venues.
- QR CODE ROUTE
- Alipay metro code, claimed in the app's transport section, is the usual QR route.
Shanghai
- AT THE GATE
- Since 28 June 2025 the whole network — 21 lines, 517 stations — accepts eligible UnionPay, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and JCB contactless cards and e-CNY hard wallets. Type-B chips and cards without ODA function are excluded, and small-amount password-free payment plus sufficient balance are required.
- AT A WINDOW OR MACHINE
- POS card machines at stations accept Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay and Discover for ticket purchase. One-day and three-day passes are sold at ticket booths.
- QR CODE ROUTE
- Metro Daduhui, the Suishenxing all-in-one code, Alipay and WeChat Pay are the main QR routes; Daduhui can also link a Mastercard for travellers without Alipay or WeChat.
Chengdu
- AT THE GATE
- Since 28 July 2025 every gate on the whole metro network accepts UnionPay plus overseas Visa, Mastercard and American Express cards, and Diners and Discover were reported as added in June 2026. City buses, BRT gates and airport or tourist-line POS machines accept the same cards.
- AT A WINDOW OR MACHINE
- Ticket machines sell single tickets and day-pass machines sell day tickets; 423 stations have multilingual translation devices and key stations have bilingual service desks.
- QR CODE ROUTE
- Chengdu metro app or Alipay and WeChat transport codes; small-amount password-free payment is also required for bank-card gates.
Chongqing
- AT THE GATE
- No official notice confirms foreign-card tapping at Chongqing fare gates. The published foreign-card service is ticket purchase at staffed windows. Gates use the Yuchangxing code, Alipay, WeChat or a UnionPay QuickPass card.
- AT A WINDOW OR MACHINE
- All 12 lines, 212 stations and 282 staffed windows accept UnionPay, Visa, Mastercard, JCB and American Express for single, one-day and three-day tickets.
- QR CODE ROUTE
- The Yuchangxing mini program or app, Alipay and WeChat all issue a metro code after real-name registration and a payment channel.
An announcement is not a promise about your card.
Each notice names its own card schemes, effective date and conditions. A card issued outside those schemes, a card without a contactless chip, or a card whose issuer blocks transit preauthorisation can still fail at a gate that officially accepts foreign cards.
Choose the gate that matches your payment
Not every gate has every reader. Look for the QR scanning window for a code, or the contactless mark for a bank card, phone or watch. If you are carrying large luggage or using a wheelchair or stroller, head for the wide or accessible gate at the end of the row instead of squeezing through a standard one.
Put every bag through security
Metro stations screen bags, and there is no exemption for foreign passports. Items are checked against that city's list, not against airline or railway rules. If an item is refused, step aside, ask what the rule is, and use a taxi or leave the item behind rather than argue at the belt.
Tap or scan once, then pass immediately
A gate opens for a few seconds and closes again. Use one ticket, code or card per traveller; a single tap is not a payment for two people. If the gate flashes red and stays shut, read the message on its screen, step out of the queue and try another gate before asking staff.
Match the line and direction, not the platform number
Read the terminus and the next station on the platform sign, and check the line colour or number. One platform can serve trains in only one direction, and some lines split into branches, so the same platform may not reach your station. English station names are common in the four launch cities, but announcements are often Chinese only.
Leave by the lettered exit and check the street
In large interchange stations the exits can be hundreds of metres apart and lead to different roads. Check the exit letter and the street name on the station map before going up, then confirm the side of the road against the Chinese destination card on your phone. Guessing an exit can add a long walk with luggage.
Keep the same ticket or card until you exit
A code or card is read twice: once at entry, once at exit. If you scan out with a different account, or forget to scan out, the journey stays incomplete and the next entry can be refused. Keep the single ticket until the exit gate collects it, and keep the payment record until the fare settles.
The exit letter is part of the journey.
Interchange stations can have exits several hundred metres apart, each opening onto a different road. Decide the exit letter while you are still on the platform, then confirm the street name at the top of the stairs against the Chinese destination card on your phone.
Open the gate Chinese cardFares are distance-based and set by each city
Chongqing's published fare starts at 2 yuan for the first 4 km; Shanghai's starts at 3 yuan for journeys under 6 km. Beijing's base fare is 3 yuan for the first 6 km. Do not budget from one national number: the machine, the gate display or the app shows the fare for your actual journey.
Day and period passes can beat single tickets
Shanghai sells a one-day pass for 18 yuan and a three-day pass for 45 yuan, valid for unlimited metro rides from first entry, with the maglev excluded. Beijing and other cities sell their own period passes under different conditions. Check the validity window, the excluded lines and whether the pass is electronic or a physical card.
Staying too long in the paid area costs extra
Beijing officially allows up to four hours per journey in the paid area; overtime on the regular network is charged at the lowest undiscounted single fare, 3 yuan, while the Daxing Airport Express has its own amount. The other cities here publish their own time limits and overtime charges in station notices, so read the notice at the station you are using rather than assuming Beijing's number applies. If you have been inside for hours because of a delay, ask at the service centre before exiting.
If the exit gate refuses you, use the service centre
A refused exit usually means an incomplete entry record, an overtime journey, an insufficient preauthorisation or a card the reader cannot settle. Go to the staffed service centre with the same card, phone or ticket, explain the stations you used and pay any difference there. Do not push through, follow another passenger or leave the station without closing the record.
Weight and size limits differ by city
Shanghai allows up to 30 kg, 0.2 cubic metres and 1.8 m total length, width and height. Beijing allows up to 30 kg, length up to 1.8 m and width and height each up to 0.5 m. Chongqing is stricter: 20 kg and 2 m total. Oversized items are refused at the gate, so a large suitcase plus another bag can end the metro plan at the entrance.
Security screening is compulsory and item-specific
Bags go through the machine and liquids may be checked, including a sip test at busy stations. Lighters, sprays, sharp tools and large batteries fall under each city's own list. Railway and airline rules do not transfer: an item accepted on a train can still be refused at a metro gate, and the reverse is also possible.
Batteries, sprays and knives need a category check
A clearly marked power bank within railway limits is not automatically accepted on the metro, and a 100 ml non-aerosol limit for flammable daily items does not mean every bottle is limited to 100 ml. Chongqing publishes a 100 ml limit for flammable non-aerosol daily items and 150 ml for specified aerosols. Read the city's list instead of generalising from one rule.
Use the wide gate and avoid the peaks
Wide and accessible gates sit at the end of the row and take luggage, strollers and wheelchairs. Peak hours in the four launch cities are roughly 07:30–09:00 and 17:30–19:00, when a large suitcase may not fit through the door area. With two suitcases, a taxi is often the realistic choice rather than a crowded interchange.
Children are judged by height, not age
All four launch cities' published rules make children 1.3 m and under free, with an accompanying adult. Shanghai's 2025 rules removed the earlier limit of two free children per adult. In Beijing, when one adult brings more than one child within the height limit, ask station staff how to pass the gates rather than pushing two children through on one tap.
Strollers, wheelchairs and the lifts
Lifts exist at stations but are not always in the obvious place; ask staff or follow the accessibility sign rather than carrying a stroller up a long staircase. Wheelchair users should use the wide gate. Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu prohibit electric scooters, balance boards and similar personal transport, while allowing wheelchairs used for access needs.
Pets are banned; service animals are the exception
Pets are not allowed on the metro even in a carrier bag. Guide dogs and, in Beijing and Chengdu, police dogs may travel under the stated conditions; Shanghai's rules name guide dogs and police dogs as exceptions. Do not assume a small pet in a bag will be treated as luggage at the security belt.
Onboard behaviour is enforced, not advisory
Shanghai prohibits eating in the car, external audio, lying on seats, smoking and vaping. Chengdu prohibits eating except for infants and sick passengers and bans external audio. Beijing prohibits eating except for infants and sick passengers and loud audio. These are published rules, not local custom, and staff can ask you to stop.
Ask for the lift before you commit to the stairs.
Every city here publishes height-based child fares and prohibits personal electric transport, with exceptions for wheelchairs used for access needs. None of that removes the practical problem of an unmarked lift entrance at an old interchange.
Buses are a separate payment system
A metro code does not automatically work on a bus. Shanghai's city buses mostly charge 1–2 yuan, with QR fares deducted about two hours after scanning and a transfer discount inside two hours. Chengdu buses, BRT gates and airport or tourist-line POS machines accept UnionPay and overseas Visa, Mastercard and American Express. Cash usually requires small notes and many routes give no change.
Airport rail links are priced and operated separately
The Beijing Capital Airport Express and Daxing Airport Express, the Shanghai maglev and Chengdu's airport lines are not ordinary metro fares, and some passes exclude them. The Shanghai maglev is excluded from the one-day and three-day passes. After a long flight with luggage, compare the official taxi queue against the airport line before deciding.
Never plan the last train; keep a backup
Last-train times differ by city, line and station, and some lines end earlier than the network average. Check the official app or the station board for your actual station and direction, allow at least thirty minutes of buffer, and keep the official taxi queue or a ride-hailing app as the plan after the last train. Late at night with luggage, a taxi is often the safer decision.
Can I tap my Visa or Mastercard at every metro gate in China?
No. Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu have announced network-wide gate acceptance for eligible contactless cards, with different card schemes, dates and conditions. Chongqing's confirmed foreign-card service is ticket purchase at staffed windows, not gate tapping. Other cities may not accept foreign cards at gates at all. Check the signage at the station you are actually using.
My card opened the entry gate but the exit gate refuses me. Am I trapped?
You are not trapped. Go to the staffed service centre in the same station, show the same card and explain the entry and exit stations. Staff can settle the journey, charge an overtime or difference amount, or switch to another payment method. Do not follow another passenger through the gate, because an unclosed record can block your next journey.
Is the Alipay metro code always available?
It is widely used but not guaranteed. Some cities require separate activation and identity verification, and an account still under review may not show a usable code. The code also needs a working connection at the gate. Keep a physical card or a single-ticket plan as backup, and activate each city's code before you travel rather than at the gate.
Are children free by height or by age?
On the four launch-city metro networks the published rules use height: 1.3 m and under, accompanied by an adult. Railway tickets are different and are judged by age and document. Shanghai removed the two-child limit in 2025; in Beijing ask staff when one adult brings more than one child within the limit.
Can I bring a suitcase, a power bank and a drink?
Usually yes within each city's limits, but the limits and item lists differ. Shanghai allows 30 kg and 1.8 m total; Beijing 30 kg with width and height each up to 0.5 m; Chongqing only 20 kg and 2 m total. Security is compulsory, liquids may be checked, and an item accepted on a train is not automatically accepted on the metro. With oversized luggage, take a taxi.
What time is the last train?
There is no single answer. Times vary by city, line, direction and station, and holiday or maintenance schedules can change them. Check the official metro app or the station board for the exact station and direction, allow at least thirty minutes of buffer, and keep an official taxi or ride-hailing backup for a late arrival.
Does Slow China sell metro tickets or check live service?
No. This guide does not sell tickets, top up cards, check live service status or guarantee that a gate, card, app or line will work on your day. Use the operating metro company's official app, staffed counter or service hotline for the current situation, and treat the dates on each reference as the point after which rules may have changed.
CHINESE HELP CARDS · COMPLETE THE BLANKS BEFORE SHOWING
Ask which gate takes a foreign card
Show this before queueing, not after a failed tap.
您好，我想用这张境外银行卡直接刷卡进站。请问哪一台闸机可以刷境外银行卡？Explain a refused exit at the service centre
Say which station you entered and which you are leaving, then show the same card or code.
您好，我刚从______站进站，现在要从这里出站，但闸机不开。请帮我查一下这次行程并结算，谢谢。Buy a single ticket to a named station
Write the station name from the official map or your ticket, not a translated guess.
您好，请给我一张到______站的单程票，一个人。请问可以用这张银行卡付款吗？Confirm the direction and the exit
Use on the platform, and again upstairs when the exits split.
您好，我要去______，请问这个方向对吗？到站后应该走哪个出口？Ask for the wide or accessible gate
For a large suitcase, a stroller or a wheelchair.
您好，我带着大件行李／婴儿车，请问宽闸机或无障碍通道在哪里？Official references used in this guide
These are external references to city government, metro operator and transport commission channels. They are not live service status, gate availability, fare quotes or card approvals.
Coverage retained: contactless gate acceptance by city, passenger rules, overtime charges, luggage and item limits, children by height, bus and airport-line payment, staffed-window fallbacks and usable Chinese cards. Card schemes, station coverage and dates stay attributed to each operator.
Beijing Subway supports tap-and-go with five overseas card schemes
Five card schemes (UnionPay, Mastercard, Visa, JCB and American Express) at every fare gate on 29 lines and 523 stations, plus Suburban Railway Line S2, during operating hours. Mastercard and Visa were added in September 2024; JCB and American Express on 15 June 2025.
Beijing rail passenger rules: luggage, children and prohibited items
Items up to 30 kg, length up to 1.8 m and width and height each up to 0.5 m; children 1.3 m and under must travel with an adult; electric personal transport is banned except wheelchairs for access needs.
Beijing rail: four hours in the paid area and the overtime charge
One journey may last up to four hours in the paid area. On the regular network the overtime charge is the lowest undiscounted single fare, 3 yuan; the Daxing Airport Express sets its own amount.
Shanghai Metro expands Tap to Ride to the entire network
21 lines and 517 stations accept eligible UnionPay, Visa (including Visa-CUP dual-brand), Mastercard, American Express and JCB contactless cards, excluding Type-B chips and cards without ODA function. Small-amount password-free payment and sufficient balance are required; station service centres handle failures.
Shanghai rail passenger rules (2025)
Children 1.3 m and under travel free with an adult and the 2025 revision removed the earlier two-child limit. Items are limited to 30 kg, 0.2 cubic metres and 1.8 m total length, width and height. Eating in the car, external audio and bicycles or balance boards are prohibited, with exceptions for wheelchairs and child strollers.
Taking a bus in Shanghai: payment and transfer rules
Most downtown and suburban routes charge 1–2 yuan. QR-code fares are typically deducted about two hours after scanning, with a transfer discount inside a two-hour window; foreign bank cards and physical transport cards are also accepted.
Chengdu metro and bus accept foreign bank cards
From 28 July 2025 Chengdu metro accepted UnionPay plus overseas Visa, Mastercard and American Express at every gate of the whole network, and city buses accepted the same cards at onboard readers, BRT gates and airport or tourist-line POS machines. Diners and Discover were reported as added in June 2026. Small-amount password-free payment and sufficient balance are required.
Chengdu urban rail regulation: tickets, children and prohibited behaviour
Children under 1.3 m travel free; eating in the car is prohibited except for infants and sick passengers; external audio is banned; bicycles and battery-powered personal transport are not allowed except assistance vehicles for disabled passengers; guide dogs and police dogs may travel.
Chongqing rail accepts domestic and foreign bank cards at staffed ticket windows
All 12 lines, 212 stations and 282 staffed ticket windows accept UnionPay, Visa, Mastercard, JCB and American Express cards for single, one-day and three-day tickets. This notice covers ticket purchase at a window; it does not announce foreign-card gate tapping.
What you cannot bring into Chongqing rail: weight, size and restricted items
Items must weigh no more than 20 kg and total no more than 2 m in length, width and height. Flammable non-aerosol daily items are limited to 100 ml each, specified aerosols to 150 ml each with a 600 ml cumulative cap, and folding bicycles are only allowed when folded or with the front wheel removed. The service hotline is 023-68002222.
Updates and corrections
The dates above apply only to the checks described here. Recheck current prices, opening hours, availability and account or document eligibility with the responsible provider before you rely on them. When an official rule changes, the affected guidance and its review date should be updated. To report a specific change, email support@slowchinaguide.com with the place, date and current source.
Send a correctionThe city sets the rules. Your card sets the outcome.
Desk-researched guidance, not a ticketing, top-up, live-service or card-approval service. Gates, schemes and operating hours follow the city operator and your card issuer on the day you travel.
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