Diagnose your payment issue

What's happening

Alipay registration usually requires a phone number. Foreign numbers work, but SMS delivery can be delayed or fail in some cases, and some users hit a 'region not supported' wall during initial signup.

Steps to fix it

1. 1Use your home country phone number with the correct country code — Alipay accepts most international numbers.
2. 2If SMS doesn't arrive, wait a moment and tap 'resend'. If it keeps failing, switch networks (turn off VPN, try mobile data instead of Wi-Fi, or vice versa).
3. 3Make sure you're using the mainland Alipay app (blue icon), not AlipayHK.
4. 4If it still fails, try registering with an email address instead of a phone number — some regions allow this.
5. 5As a last resort, borrow a phone from a friend who already has Alipay and register on their device, then log in on yours.