Using WeChat, Alipay and Chinese Apps With a VPN
You do not need a VPN for WeChat, Alipay, Didi, Meituan or Amap. They are Chinese apps and work normally inside China. The problem is that some of them work worse when your VPN is on.
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Why Chinese apps struggle with a VPN
With a VPN on, your traffic appears to come from outside China. Payment apps may add extra security checks, ride-hailing and maps may show the wrong location, and some services load slowly because they are routed abroad and back.
Use split tunnelling
Most good VPNs, including Astrill, Surfshark and ExpressVPN, let you choose which apps go through the VPN. Exclude Chinese apps and send only blocked apps through it.
- Exclude: WeChat, Alipay, Didi, Meituan, Amap, Dianping, 12306 and banking apps.
- Include: Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Gmail and other blocked apps.
- On iPhone, split tunnelling is limited, so turn the VPN off briefly when paying if you have problems.
Set up payments before you go
Alipay and WeChat Pay both accept many international Visa and Mastercard cards. Link your card and verify your identity at home, because verification can take a while and is easier with a reliable connection.