China Travel Safety: Check Payments, Avoid Pressure and Get Help

Step by step

1. 01

   Verify the channel

   Open the task through the responsible authority, operator or original booking. Check who supplies the service and which terms apply.

   CHECK BEFORE CONTINUINGYou can identify the actual provider before sharing documents or money.

2. 02

   Read the order before paying

   Check traveller details, exact location, date, status, inclusions and total. Keep the written terms and booking reference.

   CHECK BEFORE CONTINUINGThe product you approve matches the trip you intend to take.

3. 03

   Confirm the result once

   Check your own payment record and the original order. If they disagree, contact the selling channel with both references before making another payment.

   CHECK BEFORE CONTINUINGYou know whether the service is issued, pending or unresolved.

4. 04

   Use the agreed transport or service

   Follow designated queues or the verified pickup instructions. Match the vehicle and destination, and retain the receipt.

   CHECK BEFORE CONTINUINGThe actual service is identifiable in your booking or transaction records.

5. 05

   Route the problem

   For a dispute, contact the merchant, platform or appropriate local complaint service with a concise record. For an emergency, call the relevant emergency number and give the exact location.

   CHECK BEFORE CONTINUINGThe request reaches a channel suited to the problem’s urgency.

If it does not work

Words that help

Show the Chinese text when speaking is difficult. Copying happens on your device.

Reach the official service before entering documents

Open government forms from the authority's website or verified announcement, then check the actual domain. An advertisement or familiar-looking design does not identify the operator. Distinguish any intermediary's own service and fee from the government process.

The National Immigration Administration’s warning of 5 December 2025 says online arrival-card filing is free and identifies its official channels. It links to https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/ and says paper cards remain available at ports for those unable to complete the online process. This is the arrival card, not a visa application or a paid travel service. Checked again on 7 November 2026. NIA arrival-card warning

If you used a questionable page, save its address and payment record, stop submitting information and contact your payment provider. Follow the real authority's instructions to complete the task; another site's payment is not an official record.

Check what you have actually bought

Use the official operator or a clearly identified seller with understandable terms. Check names, exact location, date, time, product and total. Distinguish a request or waitlist from an issued ticket.

For railway purchases, 12306’s current online-payment FAQ tells passengers to use order enquiry to confirm the result. It also directs users to check the payment account and contact 12306 if money was deducted but a ticket was not issued. A bank alert alone does not establish a usable railway ticket. 12306 online-payment guidance

For an attraction or tour, ask what the price includes and what remains optional: transport, admission, meals, guiding and shopping stops can be separate. Save the itinerary and cancellation terms. Shanghai’s tourism guidance recommends verifying an agency’s licences and having clear contractual terms; it also warns against arrangements promoted by street solicitors without an established location. Shanghai tourism issue guidance, updated July 2026

Pause before repeating or redirecting a payment

Before approving payment, match the recipient, amount and currency to the intended purchase. Ask about an unclear recipient and keep the transaction record. Do not disclose passwords or verification codes to someone offering booking help.

If a page freezes or a seller claims payment failed, check the original order and payment history, then ask the channel to reconcile them. 12306 warns against repeatedly submitting or interrupting final payment. Check the first transaction before deciding whether to pay again.

Verify requests for refunds or extra charges through the original channel. Ask for the reason and order reference in that record. Check your own account for a refund, rather than relying on the other party's screenshot.

Keep the transport and the price identifiable

At an airport or station, follow signs to the designated taxi facility or the meeting point for your verified booking. Beijing Capital International Airport’s own taxi page directs passengers to its official taxi stands and advises obtaining a receipt and noting the vehicle plate. Its locations and fare information are airport-specific; use current signs and staff instructions where you arrive. Beijing Capital Airport taxi information

For an app-booked ride, match vehicle and driver to the booking and check the destination. If someone intercepts you en route to pickup, consult the booking or facility staff. Keep the agreed pricing basis in your records.

Take time over an unexpected invitation to a venue or shopping stop. See prices and terms before choosing it. If pressure becomes threatening, seek help in a staffed public place.

Resolve a service dispute with a clear record

When reasonable, start with the merchant or operator. Explain what was agreed, what happened and the remedy requested, with the date, location and order references. Keep the account factual and focused.

If that does not resolve the issue, use the booking platform’s support or the relevant local public-service channel. Shanghai’s current guide directs tourism enquiries and complaints to 12345 and asks for supporting evidence. That is a local routing example, not a promise of an instant refund or the same language support everywhere. Ask for a reference number and keep subsequent responses with the original case.

Keep receipts, messages and relevant photographs without publishing others' personal data. For suspected fraud, contact the verified payment provider and appropriate authority. Refunds and investigations have their own processes and outcomes.

Use the emergency channel when the situation is urgent

Mainland emergency numbers have different roles: 110 for police assistance, 119 for fire and rescue, and 120 for medical emergencies. Give your exact location first, then describe what happened and provide a callback number. Ask nearby staff to help communicate if necessary. Shanghai’s official guidance confirms these roles; its stated language arrangements should not be assumed for every locality. Official emergency guidance

Use 12367 for immigration-service questions, rather than as a substitute for emergency response. NIA’s December 2025 notice describes around-the-clock hotline support including English and bilingual online channels. If you lose a passport, contact local police and your own country’s consular authority for the case-specific steps, and notify affected travel operators. Do not assume that a photograph will replace the original for your next journey. NIA 12367 service notice

Common questions