Shanghai’s sprawling metro network just became dramatically more traveler-friendly.
As of June 28, 2025, every one of the city’s 21 subway lines and 517 stations welcomes international contactless credit cards—no more queuing at ticket machines or scrambling for top-up cards.
Here’s everything expats and tourists need to know to ride the Metro with ease.
Why This Matters for Foreign Visitors
Navigating a new city’s public transit can be daunting.
Gone are the days when foreigners had to:
- Hunt down physical ticket offices or top-up machines
- Learn Chinese-only interfaces on vending kiosks
- Preload a local transit card and risk leftover balances
With Visa Tap-to-Ride rolling out city-wide, plus support for Mastercard, American Express, JCB, and UnionPay contactless cards, Shanghai seamlessly joins the world’s most accessible metro systems.
What Cards and Digital Wallets Are Accepted?
Shanghai Metro’s “tap-and-go” gates now recognize:
| Card Type | Payment Method | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Visa | Contactless card or mobile wallet | Must enable no-password small payments |
| Mastercard | Contactless card or mobile wallet | Ditto |
| American Express | Contactless card | |
| JCB | Contactless card | |
| UnionPay | Contactless card or mobile wallet | China’s domestic switch; widely accepted |
In addition, China’s digital yuan “hard wallet”—whether issued as a plastic card, wearable, or key fob—is fully supported.
Step-by-Step: How to Use Your International Card
1. Check Contactless Readiness
- Ensure your physical card has the contactless symbol.
- If using mobile payment (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Huawei Pay), add your card and enable “no-password small payments.”
2. Tap at the Gate
- Simply hover your card or device over the reader at the entry or exit gate.
- Wait for the green light and chime—then walk through.
3. Avoid Declines
- Maintain sufficient credit or funds in your account.
- Confirm your issuing bank allows international “no-password” transactions under local limits (typically RMB 50–100 per ride).
4. Troubleshooting
- If your payment fails, call the 24-hour hotlines:
- UnionPay: 95516
- Digital Yuan: 956196
- Seek assistance at any station’s service center, where POS machines are also available for ticket purchases.
The Trials Behind the Launch
Rolling out international payment at scale demanded rigorous testing:
- 3,000+ trials across Maglev and Metro lines to validate speed, reliability, and safety.
- Collaboration between Shanghai Metro, multiple issuing banks, and card networks.
- Updates to station gates, backend settlement systems, and customer-service protocols.
This phased approach—piloting on the Maglev line at Longyang Road Station—ensured a seamless city-wide transition.
Beyond Cards: The Shanghai Metro Daduhui App
For those who prefer a dedicated transit app, the Shanghai Metro Daduhui platform offers:
- Linking foreign bank cards (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Diners Club, JCB) via Alipay, WeChat Pay, or UnionPay channels.
- Scan-to-ride functionality: generate a QR code at the gate.
- Ride history, digital receipts, and top-up reminders.
Download and register to eliminate card-tapping altogether—ideal if you’re juggling multiple international cards.
Traveler FAQs
Q: Can I use a credit card for every ride?
Yes—whether a single trip or multiple transfers, just tap in and out. There’s no reload limit beyond your card’s daily contactless cap.
Q: What if I’m visiting on a tourist visa?
All international cards, irrespective of residency status, are supported. Your bank treats each tap as a standard overseas transaction.
Q: Are refunds possible on a tapped ride?
Since fares are auto-deducted on exit, there’s no stored balance to refund—but you can request fare adjustments at service centers for entry/exit errors.
The Road Ahead: Towards a Cashless Future
Shanghai Metro’s embrace of global payment standards underscores China’s broader push for financial integration and tourism growth.
With the upcoming international expos and visa-free policies for multiple countries, this enhancement is a cornerstone of China’s contactless, card-friendly vision.
Expect further digital wallet innovations—like biometrics and cross-border e-passes—on the horizon.
About the Author
