Pick the channel by the job, not by the brand: 12306 for trains, the official channel for sights that name one, and a ride-hailing mini-program for taxis. Every booking page will ask for a passport, a phone number and a payment method, so test those three first.
It is easy to feel lost when each ticket seems to need a different app. A short table clears most of the confusion.
Which channel for which job?
| Job | Channel | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Long-distance train | 12306, with passport verification[1] | Your passport name matches the ticket. |
| Train before the sale window | Trip.com pre-order[2] | A pre-order is a request, not a seat. |
| Forbidden City | The official Palace Museum mini-program[3] | No third party is authorised to sell. |
| Taxi | Didi through the Alipay mini-program[4] | Alipay must be set up first. |
| Maps | Amap, now with English[5] | Verify English in the app. |
What does each booking page ask for?
Four checks save most trouble:
- Does it accept a passport instead of a Chinese ID?
- Does it accept an overseas phone number for the code?
- Does it accept a Malaysian card, or does it need Alipay or WeChat Pay?
- Is it the official seller, or a reseller?
Verification for mobile payment needs the passport name and a live selfie, and the same name should be used in both apps[6].
Will your card work?
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Discover and Diners Club cards can be bound to Alipay and Weixin Pay without a Chinese bank account[7]. A prepaid Alipay Tour Pass was reported discontinued in 2026, with direct card binding recommended instead[8].
Set this up before you travel. Read setting up Alipay for Malaysians for the steps.
What if the app is in Chinese?
Use your phone’s built-in screen translation, or keep an offline translation app ready. Our guide to translation apps that work offline lists the options.
A Mandarin-speaking relative can read a page with you, but do the passport and payment steps yourself.
How do you spot a reseller?
If the price is far below the official one, if the seller asks for a passport photo over chat, or if payment happens outside the platform, step back. For sights that name an official channel, nobody else is authorised to sell.
Our advance booking check shows how to confirm the official source.
What to do next
Write down each job in your trip, pick its channel from the table, and test the first step of each at home. For trains, follow our high-speed rail booking guide. More checklists sit in the prep topic hub.