Person-to-person transfers are restricted for visitor accounts.
“I can pay shops, but I cannot send money to my friend.”
What to do now
Try these in order. Stop as soon as one works.
-
Use merchant payment instead
Ask the vendor to scan your payment code rather than transferring to a person.
About 2 min -
Complete identity verification
Upload your passport and finish the face check. Some transfer features unlock afterwards.
About 10 min -
Reimburse in cash
The simplest path: your friend pays, you hand over notes.
About 1 min
Why this happens
Ranked by how often it is the cause.
Visitor accounts are limited to merchant payments, not peer transfers.
Try paying a merchant to confirm the account works.
Likelihood: high
The account has not completed full real-name verification.
Look for a verification banner in the wallet.
Likelihood: medium
The recipient's account has its own restrictions.
Ask them to try receiving a small amount from someone else.
Likelihood: low
If that does not work
Get out of the queue first. Solve the payment later.
- Split the bill or pay your share in cash
Ask the merchant to charge your portion separately, or settle it in cash.
- Use a payment request instead of a transfer
Some accounts allow requesting money even when sending is blocked.
- Keep a second wallet for merchant payments
Redundancy avoids single-app restrictions.
Setup guide: Alipay vs WeChat Pay for Foreigners: Which to Set Up First At this place: Paying at a Restaurant in China: QR Menus and Card Rules
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.