Your Payment Options in Hainan
The rapid rise of the Hainan Free Trade Port has seen increasing numbers of overseas visitors coming to Hainan for travel, business, and exchanges. In response to this, the Hainan Branch of the People’s Bank of China (China’s central bank) has encouraged financial institutions in Hainan to facilitate personal payments. Overseas visitors can now pay for purchases and services in Hainan using the following seven methods.

Method 1: Set up your WeChat Pay and add funds. After registering for a WeChat account and setting up WeChat Pay, you can go to any branch of China Everbright Bank in Hainan to add funds to your WeChat Pay account. You can then use WeChat Pay to pay.
Method 2: Link your overseas bank card to your WeChat Pay or Alipay.
Method 3: Apply for a UnionPay E Money Card. If you do not have a UnionPay debit/credit card or have not set up a payment account, you can apply for an E Money card on the UnionPay Quickpass app with your travel documents and add funds to the E Money card. You can then use the Unionpay Quickpass app to make mobile payments by scanning payment QR codes with the app.
Method 4: Pay by scanning UnionPay payment QR codes with overseas mobile payment apps. Hong Kong/Macao residents can use apps like the Hong Kong/Macao version of the UnionPay Quickpass app or ICBC Macao to make payments by scanning the UnionPay payment QR codes provided by vendors where available. Foreign nationals can link their overseas UnionPay cards to almost 170 eligible mobile payment apps (including Thailand’s Kasikornbank K PLUS and South Korea’s Naver Pay) and then make payments by scanning the UnionPay payment QR codes provided by vendors where available.
Method 5: Pay directly with your overseas bank card. Cards issued by major card issuers like VISA, Mastercard, JCB, and American Express are widely accepted.
Method 6: Pay with e-CNY using an NFC-equipped smartphone. You can register on the e-CNY wallet app using your overseas mobile number and set up four kinds of wallets. Funds can be added using overseas bank cards or using an e-CNY exchange machine to convert cash into wallet funds. Once funds have been added, you can tap your phone on card payment terminals to pay with e-CNY.
Method 7: Pay with cash. You can withdraw cash at most ATMs using your overseas bank card or exchange foreign currency for CNY at banks, licensed bureaux de change, and self-serve exchange machines throughout the province.

Sanya TrustPay
The public beta version of Sanya TrustPay was launched on March 1, 2024 through the 三亚放心游 (Sanya Trusted Travel) account on WeChat. Various tourist attractions, service providers, and vendors have signed up to the payment system, including the Tianya Haijiao, Luhuitou, Nanwan Monkey Island, and Baihualing scenic areas, Feima Auto Rental, and Fandeng Bookstore. 

Once the system is rolled out, vendors will be able to install the Sanya TrustPay app on NFC-equipped Android devices and accept contactless payments from international Visa and Mastercard credit cards and Apple Pay e-wallets linked to Visa and Mastercard credit cards. Overseas visitors will simply be able to tap their Visa or Mastercard credit cards or Apple Pay-equipped iPhones onto NFC readers to pay, without needing to download any additional apps. 

Overseas visitors who have legitimate complaints concerning payment while visiting Sanya can submit complaints via the “Visit Sanya” accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Once a complaint has been accepted by the complaint compensation platform and the refund request processed, a refund will be issued to the user via the credit card they paid with in line with compensation rules.