Your country code is fine. The SMS route is not.
“The code never arrives, and there is no resend option after two tries.”
What to do now
Try these in order. Stop as soon as one works.
-
Switch to voice verification
If the app offers a call option, take it. Voice calls route differently from SMS.
About 2 min -
Install a local-data eSIM
A travel eSIM with local data often receives verification messages that roaming SMS misses.
About 5 min -
Wait out the cooldown, then retry once
Repeated attempts extend the lockout. One clean attempt after a break works better than five quick ones.
About 30 min
Why this happens
Ranked by how often it is the cause.
International SMS is delayed by your carrier or blocked as spam.
Try voice call verification if offered.
Likelihood: high
The number was entered with the wrong country code or a leading zero.
Select the country from the list, then type the number without a leading zero.
Likelihood: medium
Too many retries triggered a temporary cooldown.
Wait 30 to 60 minutes before trying again.
Likelihood: medium
If that does not work
Get out of the queue first. Solve the payment later.
- Register with a different number
A second SIM or eSIM number often avoids a carrier problem.
- Use the other wallet app
Different SMS gateways, different results.
- Ask hotel staff to help, and pay cash meanwhile
Staff can tell whether the number or the app is failing, and cash covers meals and taxis until it works.
Setup guide: Prepaid Travel Cards for China: Do They Still Work? At this place: Paying for a Taxi in China Without a Chinese Payment App
Related problems
Independent guide. Not affiliated with Alipay, WeChat Pay, or any card network. Rules checked 2026-10-26 (version 2026-10). Found a different error message? Send it to us.