Do you need cash in Chengdu?

Cash is legal tender and should be accepted, but many vendors are accustomed to mobile payment and may not have change. Small restaurants and street stalls may prefer Alipay or WeChat. A CNY 100 note can be difficult to break.

Carry CNY 100–200 for the day and keep the rest in a hotel safe. Ask for smaller notes when you withdraw money or exchange currency.

• CNY 300–500 total backup
• CNY 100–200 daily carry
• Ask for small notes

Cash is useful at small snack stalls, rural day trips, temple donation boxes, luggage storage, and taxis whose card reader is broken. It is also a backup if your phone dies or your payment app fails.

Do not rely on cash for hotels or expensive meals; those usually accept cards or mobile payment. Cash is a safety net, not a primary strategy.

Bank of China, ICBC, China Construction Bank, and Agricultural Bank of China ATMs usually accept foreign cards. Withdrawals are often limited to CNY 2,500–5,000 per transaction. Your home bank may charge fees.

Use ATMs inside bank branches or malls, cover your PIN, and keep the receipt. Currency exchange is available at airports and major banks, but ATMs are usually simpler.

• Use bank ATMs
• Cover your PIN
• Keep receipts

Airport arrivals have ATMs and exchange counters, but city bank branches are usually less rushed. Use ATMs attached to Bank of China, ICBC, China Construction Bank, or Agricultural Bank of China, and choose a machine inside a branch or mall when possible. Check for a card-network logo before inserting your card, and cover the keypad. If the machine offers to convert the withdrawal to your home currency, decline and let your bank handle the conversion; the rate is often better. Withdrawal limits and fees depend on your bank and the ATM, so check the screen and your receipt. Exchange foreign cash at a bank counter with your passport, not with someone on the street.

Ask the bank teller for a mix of CNY 100, 50, and 20 notes. Large notes are fine at hotels and chain stores but awkward at noodle shops and small stalls. Keep daily cash in two places, leave the rest in a hotel safe, and avoid displaying a thick stack. If you receive change, check it before walking away; counterfeit notes are uncommon but not impossible. Cash is also useful when a temple donation box, luggage storage counter, or rural bus has no working QR reader. A phone battery pack and a backup card matter as much as the cash itself. Withdraw in two smaller amounts rather than one large one, and keep the receipts with your travel documents. Do not carry all your cash in one pocket, and keep a small emergency note separate from your wallet.