What should I do when Alipay identity verification fails?

At a glance

• The visitor account begins with phone registration and linking an eligible international bank card; the card can fund mainland merchant purchases. [1]
• Hangzhou’s government records the simplified small-payment identity allowance increasing from US$500 to US$2,000 in March 2024. Complete any identity request the app presents before continuing. [2]
• The published overseas-mobile-payment ceilings are US$5,000 per transaction and US$50,000 per year; identity allowance and spending ceilings are different checks. [3]
• Alipay English support: +86 571 2688 6000, daily 08:00–24:00 China time. [1]

What to do next

1. Read the exact message and identify the stage. A rejected passport photograph, a face check, an SMS code and an issuer declining a purchase need different responses. Keep the screen title and error so you can return to the same step.
2. For document data, compare the selected document type, full name, number and expiry with the original passport. Correct a mistyped date or number before uploading another image. Use the document you will carry on the trip.
3. For an image request, use the original document in even light. Keep all required edges visible, avoid glare over the photograph and number, and use a sharp image. Follow any specific crop or page instruction on the screen.
4. For a face check, face the camera in good light and follow the movement prompts. Remove an obstruction that prevents your face being read. Complete the check yourself; do not submit a companion’s face to help the account through.
5. If the same corrected attempt fails, contact Alipay through its own support route or published English number. Give the error wording, the failed step and the time of the attempt. Supply identity documents only through the official upload process requested for your case.
6. Use a working payment route for the immediate purchase. Ask the merchant about WeChat Pay, a compatible card terminal or cash. Return to account troubleshooting somewhere you have time and a stable connection.

If your situation is different

The app asks for a Chinese bank card: look at the function you opened. Balance, transfer or recovery screens may ask for information unrelated to your intended international-card shop purchase. Return to the visitor card setup and identify whether that purchase route is actually blocked.

Your passport is verified but payment fails: open the transaction result and the bank’s own alerts. If the issuer declined it, address that approval or restriction. If you scanned a personal transfer code, request a merchant checkout instead of repeating the passport upload.

You are approaching the identity allowance: finish the requested verification before a large or essential purchase. The US$2,000 allowance is not a target to spend up to while ignoring a prompt already on the screen.

You cannot receive the code: confirm the phone number and country code, then check that the SIM still has service and can receive messages abroad. Keep that number available even when a separate travel eSIM supplies your data.

Common mistakes

• Uploading the same unclear image repeatedly: correct the named defect and the entered passport data first.
• Changing identity details to guess what the system wants: use your actual document and keep a record of the error for support.
• Treating verification as permission for personal transfers: international-card restrictions still apply to that transaction type.
• Trying account recovery in a busy checkout queue: settle the purchase with an accepted alternative and troubleshoot afterwards.

Quick questions