The Beijing Metro: Alipay Ride Codes, Foreign Cards and Tickets (as of November 2026)

The Beijing metro reaches the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the main railway stations and both airports, making it the most dependable way for visitors to get around. Payment options have multiplied too: in 2026 you can ride by tapping a credit card from home straight on the gate. Here's how fares work, how to pay, and what to watch out for when you ride.

How fares work

The Beijing metro (excluding the Capital Airport Express and the Daxing Airport Express) uses distance-based fares.

You can stay inside the gates for up to 4 hours per trip. The two airport lines are priced separately: the Capital Airport Express is a flat 25 yuan, and the Daxing Airport Express is up to 35 yuan in standard cars (see "05 From Beijing's Airports into the City").

For days of heavy use there are passes (electronic tickets): 1-day 20 yuan, 2-day 30 yuan, 3-day 40 yuan, 5-day 70 yuan and 7-day 90 yuan. They allow unlimited rides of any distance during the validity period, but must be bought through designated channels such as the "亿通行" (Yitongxing) app.

Four ways to pay

1. Alipay ride code

This is the easiest. The steps, from Beijing's guidance for foreigners:

1. Install the Alipay app, register and log in
2. Complete identity verification as prompted, and link a payment method (foreign cards are OK)
3. On the home screen, choose "Transport (出行)" → "Metro (地铁)" → "Get now," accept the terms, and tap "Agree and Obtain the card"
4. Enter your Alipay payment password to finish

At the gate, hold the QR code to the reader to enter, and again to exit. The fare is charged to your linked payment method when you exit. Alipay lets you switch the app's language, so you can set it up without reading Chinese. For setting up Alipay itself, see "02 Alipay for Foreign Visitors."

2. Tapping a foreign credit card

According to the Beijing city government, contactless payment with foreign-issued cards became fully available on 27 metro lines and 490 stations from September 13, 2024. At first this covered Visa and Mastercard; from June 15, 2025, JCB and American Express were added, and cards now work on 29 lines including both airport lines. No advance registration is needed — just tap your card at the gate when you enter and exit. JCB cards issued in Japan work as is (contactless-enabled cards only).

3. Single-journey tickets from machines or windows

Station ticket machines have an English display: choose your destination from the route map, set the number of tickets, and proceed to payment. The machines take 1-yuan coins, 5-, 10-, 20- and 50-yuan notes, and cashless payment. The card brands accepted reportedly vary by station. You can also buy at the ticket window by stating your destination, but English may not get you far, so be ready to show the station name in Chinese.

4. BEIJING PASS

A transit card for foreign visitors, sold at international arrivals at the airports and at designated stations on presentation of your passport. The card costs 20 yuan and is non-refundable; it can't be reissued if lost, and the balance can't be refunded. Top-ups at the window are in units of 10 yuan, with a maximum balance of 1,000 yuan. With an NFC-capable phone, you can also top up through the "SilkPass" app.

Which to choose

• Alipay already set up → the ride code is the easiest
• Alipay not set up yet, or not working → tap Visa, Mastercard, JCB or American Express
• Worried about phone battery or connectivity → keep a single-journey ticket or BEIJING PASS as a backup

Having several options means you won't panic if one fails. But enter and exit with the same method. Entering with Alipay and exiting with a card, for example, leaves your records mismatched.

Things to know when you ride

• Carry your passport at all times. In Beijing, police ID checks are not unusual, and you may be asked to show ID at metro bag checks, at the entrances to sights and at hotels. Keep the original, not a copy, somewhere easy to reach so you can respond calmly.
• Bag screening at every station. Bags must go through an X-ray check, and luggage is limited to 30 kg in weight, 1.8 m in length, and 0.5 m in width and height. Queues for screening tend to be long during the morning rush.
• Some transfers involve long walks. At big interchange stations, the passageways alone can take several minutes.
• Last trains vary by line and station. Most lines run their last trains at roughly 22:30–23:30, but it differs by station and direction. On late nights, check the times in advance on the Beijing Subway official website or on station notices.
• Children's fares go by height. Under Beijing's ticketing rules, children 1.3 m tall or under ride free with a fare-paying adult (height, not age, is the criterion). At the gate, the child goes first with the adult right behind. With two or more children, ask station staff for help. These rules don't apply to the two airport lines, so check the official announcements for children's fares on those lines.

Final thoughts

Once you have just one way to pay ready, the Beijing metro is surprisingly easy for visitors. Fares are low and trains are frequent, so it's often faster than a taxi. Rules and accepted cards get updated, so check the Beijing city government's and Beijing Subway's official information before you go.