Money, phone, apps, visa and entry

At a glance

• The metro takes your foreign card. Tap a contactless Visa, Mastercard, Amex or JCB at Guangzhou Metro gates; no ticket needed. Fares start at RMB 2.
• Set up Alipay and WeChat Pay before you fly. Both accept linked foreign cards. Officially guided use of foreign-card funds is for purchases, not personal transfers or red packets, so check your wallet's current rules. Reported WeChat limits: RMB 6,500 per transaction, RMB 50,000 per month, RMB 65,000 per year, 3% fee above RMB 200 (not confirmed).
• Carry some cash: a buyer suggests RMB 500-1,000 for small shops and emergencies. Pazhou Port has a walk-in multi-currency exchange counter and FX machines on 2F.
• Internet: international roaming or travel eSIMs often allow WhatsApp and Google without extra tools, but a data-only eSIM may not receive SMS codes, so keep an SMS-capable number. The legality of VPNs is not covered by our sources, and we give no instruction on it.
• 240-hour visa-free transit (not 144 hours) covers 57 countries from Aug 20, 2026, with an onward ticket to a third country or region. India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, the Philippines and Turkey are not on the list.
• Need a visa? Use the fair's electronic invitation for an M (business) visa. An invitation is not a visa. Some consulates, including the embassy in Türkiye, also require a separate "Verification of Invitation" (邀请核实单) with 4-6 weeks lead time.
• Last-minute option: Guangzhou exit-entry police run a temporary port-visa service at Pazhou Port for invitation holders, Oct 12-Nov 11, tel 020-38612133.
• Police registration within 24 hours if you are not staying in a hotel. This has been possible online since Sep 21, 2026.

7.1 Paying for things

Metro and buses

• Gates accept contactless Mastercard, Amex, Visa and JCB directly. About 9,000 gates support international card taps. Use the same card or device to enter and exit, and keep other cards away from the reader. Fees or exchange charges are set by your card issuer, not published.
• Alternatives: the Alipay transit QR code (claim it under Alipay "Travel", or activate the Yangchengtong code) and the WeChat transit code.
• Fair passes: 1-day and 3-day fair tickets at vending machines at Guangzhou South, Pazhou, Xingangdong and Airport North. A limited 5-day ticket is sold only inside the fair. Prices are not in the official notice; a spring 2026 guide gave RMB 20 (1-day) and RMB 50 (3-day, clock starts at first entry) (not confirmed). A commenter says the 5-day pass is sold in Hall 6.1 (comment only).
• Pazhou station's service desk can help with small-change exchange at peak times and has English-speaking staff.

Cards in shops and hotels

• Guangzhou says 16,000+ merchant terminals accept foreign cards. Do not read this as universal: a broad claim that "foreign cards work at hotels and malls" is secondhand. Have a wallet app as backup.
• Tax refund on departure: 1,750+ stores offer it, with VIP lanes at Baiyun Airport and Pazhou Ferry Port. The Pazhou Port departure hall has a tax-refund counter and duty-free shop on 2F. A market article reports the minimum purchase cut from RMB 500 to RMB 200 and a cash refund cap of RMB 20,000, with about 3 minutes processing (not confirmed).

Alipay

• Accepts Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Discover, Diners, Amex and overseas UnionPay. English interface, scan-to-pay.
• Register with your passport and link a card. A Malaysian user reports it was accepted by most Guangzhou merchants. A commenter says Alipay does not require a phone number.
• TourCard (Bank of Shanghai prepaid) stopped new applications from late May 2026. Link a card directly or use UnionPay's NiHao China Tour Wallet instead. An earlier March 2026 guide described a prepaid "Tour Pass" with a percentage top-up fee (likely superseded).
• Fees: a commenter says transactions over RMB 200 with a foreign card incur a 3% fee (not confirmed). Per-transaction ceilings cited by Trip.com go up to about USD 5,000. This is a ceiling, not a guaranteed wallet limit.
• If your account is frozen by risk control: submit your passport, entry stamp and proof of a China address (hotel booking). Manual review takes 3-5 business days. Balance loaded from foreign cards cannot be withdrawn.
• Alipay also hosts DiDi, eSIM purchases and Meituan payment.

WeChat Pay

• Register WeChat by scanning your passport photo page, then bind Visa or Mastercard under Services > Wallet (document upload plus face check). Seven networks supported. You need your passport plus an SMS-capable phone (foreign numbers OK).
• Reported limits: RMB 6,500 per transaction, RMB 50,000 per month, RMB 65,000 per year. No fee under RMB 200, 3% above. Purchases only, no red packets or transfers (not confirmed).
• Paying a person, not a shop: some personal collection QR codes cannot accept foreign-card-funded payments. A Brazilian buyer could not pay a local's WeChat receive code but could pay with Alipay. Plan for this with taxi drivers, small vendors and freelancers.
• Large payments: foreign-card-funded QR payments over certain sizes may be restricted. A provider's claim of a USD 500 limit for unverified accounts is unsupported. Do not plan to pay supplier deposits by wallet app.

When payment fails

Check, in order: the name on your passport matches the card, your bank has not blocked the transaction, the app verification is complete, and the merchant accepts foreign-funded payments. Enable overseas transactions with your bank and check daily limits before you fly.

Applies to Chinese cards or accounts only: ICBC credit-card dining coupons, and the city's dining vouchers, which may need Chinese app accounts. Payment-help evidence for foreigners is otherwise card-agnostic.

7.2 Cash, ATMs and exchange

• At the fair: the official Phase 1 guide lists bank/ATM services. The 140th Area C service page shows an ATM and a bank on 2F (Halls 14.2/15.2/16.2). The venue added cross-border payment help desks this edition. Whether the reposted Area C page's Phase 2/3 services continue is not confirmed either. An ATM/bank icon is not a guarantee it will be open when you visit. (not confirmed)
• Pazhou Port (琶洲港) 2F: walk-in multi-currency exchange counter and FX machines.
• Metro (spring 2026 pattern): international-card POS at 11 stations including Pazhou and Xingangdong. Currency exchange at Xingangdong, Guangzhou East and Airport North (139th pattern, reconfirm).
• Baiyun Airport: T2 and T3 Foreigner Facilitation Service Centres help with payment, SIM, transport and fair information at one counter.
• Banks, suitable ATMs and exchange counters offer cash withdrawal or exchange.
• Do not change money with strangers. Black-market FX offers in and around the halls are a documented warning.

7.3 SIM, eSIM, roaming and internet

• Physical SIM: Pazhou Port 2F has a mobile operator desk selling SIM cards. Airport facilitation centres handle telecom. A provider suggests buying a prepaid SIM at a carrier shop with your passport and a compatible SIM slot.
• Local eSIM: a provider claims foreign tourists cannot get a mainland local-number eSIM (not confirmed). Do not confuse a travel data eSIM with a local mobile number.
• Travel eSIM / roaming: many international travel eSIMs and roaming plans allow WhatsApp and Google without a separate tool. A data-only eSIM may not receive SMS verification codes, so keep your home SIM active for SMS. Users report AT&T roaming working for DiDi, Meituan and Gmail, sometimes slowly. Another says some sites and mini-programs are slow until on local Wi-Fi. Buyers bought eSIMs in Alipay or on Trip.com. One eSIM post lists 1 GB/day, 30 GB total (operator and price not given).
• Registering apps with a foreign number: foreign numbers can roam in China and register WeChat/Alipay. Registration is not the same as payment verification.
• On eSIM "VPN included" claims: a reply in a traveller group limits firewall-bypass claims to products explicitly labelled that way. Our sources contain no authoritative rule on VPN legality, and we make no recommendation. A repeat visitor said earlier payment, cash and VPN problems made the trip stressful, and advises testing everything before arrival.
• Weak signal in halls: a commenter recommends portable Wi-Fi. Public Wi-Fi login conditions at the venue were not found.

7.4 DiDi, maps and translation

• DiDi: no Chinese SIM or bank account needed. Foreign mobile and international card supported, English interface, in-app Chinese-English message translation (calls are not interpreted). Three ways in: the DiDi app (region Mainland China), the DiDi mini-program in Alipay, or WeChat > Me > Services > Ride Hailing. Set a precise pickup point, choose a larger car for luggage, and match the plate number before getting in. An Uber account is not a substitute. Many foreign buyers now reach factories by DiDi on their own.
• At the fair: ride-hail pickup is 16:00-19:00 at designated zones (Canton Fair Hall; eastbound Pazhou Avenue East 100 m east of Huizhan East junction; Huizhan South 2nd Rd; Huizhan South 3rd Rd). Do not request a gate pickup.
• Taxis: metered only, passenger pays tolls, do not negotiate. Complaints to 12345. A buyer reported a RMB 150 quote near Gate 3 for a ride they expected to cost RMB 20, at an unofficial pickup spot.
• Maps and trains: Amap or Baidu Maps for navigation, 12306 for high-speed rail tickets.
• Translation: WeChat Scan > Translate for menus and signs. DeepSeek, Doubao, Apple Translate and Youdao for conversation, with offline packs. Pazhou metro station's information desk has 118 translation devices.
• Power: bring plug adapters and a power bank (one buyer note suggests under 20,000 mAh; airline limits are in Wh, so check the Wh marking). Rental power banks in halls often run empty at peak. Some hotels provide international adapters.

7.5 Visa and entry

Which route applies to you

• Count your days. If P2, P3, gap days and factory trips together exceed your visa-free stay, you need an M visa. P2 start to P3 end is Oct 23-Nov 4, 13 days, longer than a 240-hour window.
• 24-hour transit applies worldwide but keeps you airside by default. It is not permission to attend the fair.
• Old guides are wrong. Sources still citing "144 hours" or "54/55 countries" predate the Aug 20, 2026 change. The NIA 240-hour, 57-country policy wins.
• The Asian countries on the 57-country list are Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, UAE, Qatar, Indonesia, Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan. Malaysian passport holders were reported entering visa-free in one Oct 2026 buyer note; recheck before travel. About 50 countries had unilateral visa-free entry as of H1 2026; check your nationality on the NIA site.

M (business) visa with the fair invitation

1. Register as a buyer and apply for the invitation after the required registration steps. Electronic invitation letters can be requested in the Canton Fair system. An invitation supports but does not guarantee a visa.
2. Documents listed by a visa agency: passport valid at least 6 months with 2 blank pages, 33x48 mm white-background photo, invitation letter with verification form, online visa form, employment letter, flight and hotel bookings. Standard processing 5-7 working days. Another ad adds company licence, introduction letter and three months of bank statements. Requirements vary by consulate.
3. Verification of Invitation (邀请核实单): the Chinese Embassy in Türkiye and several others strictly require this in addition to the e-invitation, needing 4-6 weeks. Nigerian, South Asian and Middle Eastern applicants should allow ample time. A visa ad claims first-time visitors need no extra verification form. This conflicts and is consulate-specific.
4. Carry paper copies of the invitation and verification form. Border control may inspect them on landing. Also carry your registration receipt, business cards and supplier emails.
5. Lead time: apply about 2 months ahead. One ad's Sep 7-Oct 16 online window has passed.
6. No paid work in China on an M visa or visa-free entry.

Arriving

• Fill the arrival card (on board, on landing or online), give fingerprints, and have your hotel booking and return ticket ready (electronic is fine).
• Dedicated Canton Fair lanes at Baiyun and the ferry ports, with form help in under 2 minutes, online arrival-card pre-filling and English, French and Arabic-speaking officers. Border control has 240-hour temporary entry desks. Baiyun offers advance appointment or pre-review.
• Immigration hotline 12367 runs a 24/7 multilingual Canton Fair line, with a 12367 booth inside the venue.
• Nobody can "guarantee" your visa. The fair has never authorised third parties to process visas or badges.

Hong Kong route cautions

• Hong Kong and mainland immigration are separate. A Hong Kong visa does not let you into the mainland, and a mainland visa does not let you into Hong Kong.
• Pakistan: Hong Kong lists Pakistan as visa required, fee HK$330, normally about 4 weeks after complete documents.
• India: visa-free up to 14 days, but first complete the free online Pre-arrival Registration (PAR), valid 6 months. Details must match your passport exactly.
• Going to Hong Kong between phases means leaving the mainland. To come back for P3 you need a valid entry route again: a multiple-entry visa, a new visa-free entry, or a new transit entry (not confirmed). A buyer's question about crossing to Hong Kong between phases went unresolved in a forum.
• HKIA to Pazhou ferry: arriving international passengers at HKIA can check in at counter E2 without clearing Hong Kong immigration, and bags go straight to Pazhou. Check-in closes 30 min before sailing. A September report said the ferry was suspended for maintenance from Sep 1. That is not proof of October status.

Police registration within 24 hours

Hotels register foreign guests for you. In any other accommodation, register within 24 hours of arrival online (NIA website, NIA 12367 app or WeChat mini-program, Alipay) or at a police station. Failure can lead to a warning or fine. See Chapter 5.5.

Do / Don't

Do

• Link two cards to two wallet apps and test a small payment before you fly.
• Keep your home SIM able to receive SMS.
• Check your passport against the NIA 57-country list, not a blog.
• Print your invitation and verification form.

Don't

• Don't plan on 240-hour transit if you hold an Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Nigerian, Filipino or Turkish passport.
• Don't pay supplier deposits by WeChat/Alipay QR with a foreign card.
• Don't change money with strangers.
• Don't pay anyone for a "guaranteed visa".

Still to confirm

Official sources

• Guangzhou metro supports direct international-card taps using Mastercard/Amex/Visa/JCB; fair 1/3-day tickets at Guangzhou South/Pazhou/Xi...
• Officially guided Guangzhou payment handbook: link foreign bank cards to Alipay/Weixin Pay, overseas mobile numbers supported; Alipay for...
• Effective Aug 20 2026, 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit covers 57 countries, not 55, via 65 ports; Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam newly added....
• Published 57-country list does NOT include India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, Philippines or Turkey. Do not promise 240-hour entry to ...
• Invitation letters can be applied for after required registration steps; an invitation is not a visa.
• Official Phase1 guide lists luggage storage, meditation room, first aid/AED, bank/ATM, photocopy/business-card printing, post and air/tra...
• Official travel contact: Canton Fair International Travel Agency +86 20 89268105, cantonfair.tour@163.net, booking.cantonfair.org.cn. Hot...
• Ride-hailing pickup 16:00–19:00: Canton Fair Hall; eastbound Pazhou Avenue East 100m east of Huizhan East junction; Huizhan South 2nd Rd;...
• Guangzhou taxis must use meter; passenger pays applicable expressway tolls. Do not negotiate fare. Complaint hotline 12345; taxi operator...
• Phase 2 is Oct 23–27, 2026; Phase 3 Oct 31–Nov 4; changeover Oct 28–30 (also Oct 20–22).
• 24-hour transit applies worldwide but staying airside/restricted port area is the default; leaving requires temporary entry permission. T...