What should I do first?

1. Keep each payment at or below 200 RMB 2. Use a card with no foreign transaction fee 3. Pay larger bills with cash or a local method

That extra 3% is a card fee, not a scam.

Updated 2026-10-26 3 steps ~2 min Visa · Mastercard

“The receipt is higher than the price on the shelf.”

Try these in order. Stop as soon as one works.

Keep each payment at or below 200 RMB

The fee applies to the whole amount, so ask the merchant to split a large bill into payments of 200 RMB or less.
About 1 min
Use a card with no foreign transaction fee

That removes the second layer of cost entirely.
About 2 min
Pay larger bills with cash or a local method

For big-ticket items, cash or a prepaid platform is usually cheaper.
About 2 min

Ranked by how often it is the cause.

A 3% fee applies to foreign-card transactions above 200 RMB.

Compare the charged amount with the shelf price.

Likelihood: high

Your own card adds a foreign transaction fee on top.

Read your card's fee schedule.

Likelihood: medium

A merchant surcharge, which is separate from the wallet fee.

Ask for an itemized receipt.

Likelihood: low

Get out of the queue first. Solve the payment later.

Withdraw cash in larger amounts
One ATM visit beats many small card payments.
Prepay online before arrival
Fees are often lower when the merchant charges abroad.
Check the fee line before confirming
The app shows the fee before you authorize.

Still stuck after all three steps? A 15-minute screen share usually finds the failing step. See how remote help works →