← All guides
Train 18 of 62 known sticking points

Your train payment fails at checkout

12306 fails about 12% of card payments. Turn off autofill, try another card, or use Trip.com.

Pay failed !

12306 fails about 12% of card payments.

What you'll see

If the payment won't go through at checkout, it is usually the card or 12306's processor:

"Payment failed" · "Transaction declined"
中国 App 里显示为：支付失败 / 交易被拒
Error-text level: L2 (observed wording). Exact in-app strings are being verified against a live device.

Why it happens

12306 has a higher card-failure rate than Trip.com, and some banks block China-originated charges. Autofill also corrupts card fields.

Fastest fix, free: Turn off browser autofill and type the card manually; if it fails, try another card or pay via Trip.com, which has more options and fewer failures.
Last verified: 2026-09-20 · Confidence: Multiple sources (pending first-hand verification)
The full fix sequence (free)
  1. Turn off autofill and type card details manually.
  2. Try a different card; some banks fail more on 12306.
  3. Use Alipay or WeChat Pay instead of a card.
  4. Book via Trip.com, which has more payment options.

When the fast fix isn't enough

In the kit

When a card keeps failing, the kit lists the working combos.

1. The working-card table

Observed pass rates by bank and network.

2. The trigger matrix

What 12306 rejects most.

3. Offline printable version

The table as a printable card.

Get the offline kit — $9.99 Read the free guides first

If nothing works

If no card works at checkout:

  1. Book through Trip.com with PayPal or Alipay.
  2. Ask a Chinese companion to pay and reimburse them.
  3. Go to a station ticket window and pay in person.

You are looking at 1 of 62

Most travellers know about three of these before they fly. This one is often not one of them.

This case Related, train All others
Find the ones that are yours