Payment
10 of 62 known sticking points
Your payment fails at the moment of purchase
At the counter, scan, fail. Stay calm, switch apps, or pay cash — most times it is a one-tap retry.
At the counter, a fail is usually one retry away.
What you'll see
If you are at the counter, scan the code, and the payment fails, it is usually transient:
"Payment failed" · "Transaction cancelled"
中国 App 里显示为：支付失败 / 交易已取消
Error-text level: L2 (observed wording). Exact in-app strings are being verified against a live device.
Why it happens
A failed checkout is often a brief network hiccup, a per-transaction risk check, or one app's temporary reject. It rarely means the card is dead.
Fastest fix, free:
Tell the cashier "稍等" (shao deng), switch to the other app, and try again — or just pay in cash.
Last verified: 2026-09-20 ·
Confidence:
Multiple sources (pending first-hand verification)
The full fix sequence (free)
- Stay calm. Tell the cashier "稍等" (shāo děng — wait a moment) and try again.
- Switch to the other app. If WeChat Pay fails, try Alipay.
- Pay with cash. Most shops accept cash.
- Ask a friend to pay and reimburse them later.
When the fast fix isn't enough
In the kit
When checkout fails repeatedly, the kit gives the cashier phrase and next steps.
1. The cashier phrase card (CN + EN)
Exactly what to say so the line does not stall.
2. The trigger matrix
Which failure at checkout means retry vs. which means switch vs. which means cash.
3. Offline printable version
The phrase and tree as a printable card for the counter.
If nothing works
If every method fails at the register:
- Pay with cash — most Chinese shops still accept it.
- Ask a companion or hotel staff to pay and reimburse them.
- Step aside, switch networks, and retry away from the queue.
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