Choose a ticket or supported payment method before reaching the gate. In Beijing and Shanghai, options include single-journey tickets, eligible transport codes and supported contactless bank cards. Use the same ticket, card, device or transport code to enter and exit. A wallet's shop payment code is not the metro ride code.
For a first ride, pick a straightforward journey and leave time to find the correct exit. Knowing the destination station, direction and payment method is enough to begin. You can learn the wider network as you use it.
Save the station and the exit
Open your map, enter the full destination and compare the suggested route. Save the destination station's English and Chinese names, line number and exit. Stations with similar names can serve different places; a railway station and its connecting metro station also have their own walking routes.
On the platform, check the line and direction using the terminal station shown for the service. Confirm that your destination appears along that direction. For a transfer, follow the signs for the next line before leaving the paid area unless the route specifically requires an exit.
The map instructions explain practising a route. Check the final walk from your chosen exit, especially with luggage or a need for lifts.
Choose a method that works for you
| Method | Beijing and Shanghai | Remember |
|---|---|---|
| Single-journey ticket | Available through station ticketing facilities; ask the service counter for help. | Buy for the correct destination and check how that ticket is used at entry and exit. |
| Transport QR code | Supported services are available through apps such as Alipay. | Choose the city and metro service. Activation and account requirements vary. |
| Contactless bank card | Beijing supports eligible overseas Visa and Mastercard cards; Shanghai also lists eligible American Express and JCB cards. | Check the gate logos and card requirements. Support in these cities does not establish support everywhere. |
| Local transport card or pass | Visitor products include Beijing Pass and Shanghai Pass. | Ask about coverage, loading, refunds and airport services before buying. |
A physical bank card, the same card in a phone wallet and the same card in a watch should not be treated as interchangeable during a journey. Use the same medium at entry and exit. For card tapping, the bank's contactless and small-payment settings may also matter.
If a phone service will not activate, a single-journey ticket is a useful fallback. Prepare your wallet with the payment guide, but do not let app setup consume the whole outing.
Activate a Beijing metro code in Alipay
The screens below show a real Beijing example. Your city must match the journey, and your account must satisfy the prompts in its current version. Keep the data connection available while setting it up.
- Open Transport. On the Alipay home screen, find Transport. Some versions label the entry Travel. Check that the chosen city is Beijing.
Transport is circled on the home screen. - Choose Metro and begin activation. The pictured screen has a Metro tab and a Get now button. This is the transit service, separate from Pay/Receive for shops.
Metro is selected; Get now begins the pictured activation. - Read the service terms. If you agree, use the activation button. Follow any identity or payment-method prompts shown for your own account.
The pictured button is Agree and obtain card. - Confirm inside your own app. If Alipay asks for your payment password, enter it privately in Alipay. Do not give the password to a person offering assistance.
The prompt requests the Alipay payment password. - Open the live Beijing Metro Code. Check the city and service name before approaching the scanner. Use the code generated in your account, rather than the example image.
The screen identifies Beijing Metro Code. Use the code in your own account.
For another city, select its own metro service and read the relevant activation conditions. If verification, the linked card or the code does not work, ask the station service desk about a ticket instead of trying the shop payment code at the gate.
Buy a single-journey ticket when that is simpler
- Choose English where available. At the vending machine, find the language control before selecting a destination.
English is marked at the bottom left of this example machine. - Select the line, destination and number of tickets. Review the total and use a payment method the machine accepts. If your card is rejected or the menu is unclear, take the destination name to the staffed counter.
The destination, quantity and fare are examples. Check your own journey before paying.
Keep the ticket through the journey. Shanghai's traditional single-use IC ticket is collected at the exit gate; its paper QR single ticket is scanned at both entry and exit. Follow the markings for the ticket you receive. Do not assume every city issues the same kind.
Keep the entry and exit together
Follow the station's security and gate instructions. Open the live transport code before your turn, or hold the chosen card or ticket ready. Keep your phone powered and retain the same payment medium for the exit.
If a gate rejects the ticket or code, step aside and ask the service counter. Show the ticket, card or app record used at entry. Avoid starting a new journey with another card to solve an unresolved exit.
Arrange admission for each traveller. Ask staff about children's tickets or an operator's supported companion-ticket feature rather than attempting to share one ordinary ride code. Leave extra time to move together through a busy station.
Use a bus after checking the stop and payment
Check the stop on the correct side of the road, the direction and where to get off. A route number alone is not enough. Save the destination stop's Chinese name and watch the progress on your map.
Ask which ticket, transport code, card or cash arrangement that bus accepts. Do not assume a metro bank-card facility also applies to every bus. Check whether a second scan is needed when alighting, and prepare the exact fare if paying cash and change is unavailable.
Shanghai's SH MaaS service provides route and bus-arrival information alongside its transport code. Other cities have their own services. For a late journey, heavy luggage or an awkward final connection, compare the bus with the ride-hailing option and choose the one you can follow comfortably.
Before you move on
Questions you may still have
Can I use a foreign bank card at the metro gate?
Eligible overseas cards are supported in Beijing and Shanghai, with different card-network requirements. Check gate logos and your card's settings. Do not assume the same support in every city or on every bus.
Is the shop payment code the same as the metro code?
No. Open the city's transport service and its metro ride code. Pay/Receive is for merchant payments; it does not replace the activated transit code.
What if the app will not activate?
Ask the staffed station counter about a single-journey ticket or another supported method. Bring the destination name and a payment backup rather than repeatedly trying the wrong code.