Local Tip
Flying into Pudong Terminal 2? A staffed service station just outside the international arrivals exit opens 24 hours, with a foreign-card ATM and a machine that turns 20 currencies into yuan beside it.
Where to change money in Shanghai
The city's English payment guide names five kinds of place to buy yuan: bank branches with an exchange sign, authorised exchange firms, self-service kiosks, airport service points and, since April 2026, two airport metro stations.
- Airport Link Line stations at Hongqiao and Pudong (trial)On 9 April 2026 Shanghai Metro began a trial of exchange points in two Airport Link Line stations, Pudong Airport Terminal 1&2 and Hongqiao Airport Terminal 2, so you can get yuan on the way to the train. No hours, currencies or limits were announced.
- Bank branches and licensed exchange firmsIn June 2024 the Shanghai office of the People's Bank of China counted 20 franchised exchange firms, 200 agencies, 80 machines and over 3,000 bank branches offering exchange, spread over all 16 districts, and said every exchange point should have bilingual staff.
Changing money at the airport
Pudong (PVG) had two banks and 15 exchange counters in July 2026, two of them still to open, changing more than 40 currencies including sterling. You can pay for the exchange in cash, by card or with some digital wallets, and ask for a mix of large and small notes. Airport shops and restaurants all take Visa, Mastercard, Alipay and WeChat Pay, and will let you add leftover cash to a card or phone payment. City-run service centres in the arrivals halls of Pudong T1 and T2 and Hongqiao T1 sell SIM and transport cards, help with mobile payment and change currency.
Hongqiao (SHA), the second airport, has six exchange outlets over its two terminals; in July 2026 they handled 43 currencies and offered small notes.
ATMs and cards in Shanghai
In 2024 the city counted almost 9,000 cash machines that accept foreign bank cards. Most everyday spending happens on phones, and the city's payment guide explains how to link an overseas card to Alipay or WeChat Pay, so set one up before you travel. If a terminal shows the amount in pounds, pick yuan (CNY), and check what your UK bank charges for spending and withdrawals abroad.
Paying for transport in Shanghai
Since 28 June 2025 all Shanghai Metro lines, then 517 stations, have accepted contactless UnionPay, Visa, Mastercard, JCB and American Express cards at the gates. Switch on your card's small-amount, password-free setting first; a few card types (Type-B chips, cards without ODA) will not work. Station service centres have had foreign-card terminals since 15 April 2024, and the airport ones sell single, one-day and three-day tickets plus combined metro and maglev tickets. Apps are the other route: Metro Daduhui takes Alipay, WeChat Pay and foreign cards, and Suishenxing gives one QR code for metro, buses and ferries. The maglev from Pudong to Longyang Road (about eight minutes) has taken JCB, Visa, Mastercard and American Express at its gates since 14 June 2025, with cash as a fallback.
Good to know
- Any Shanghai taxi will take yuan notes or a Shanghai Public Transportation Card. In September 2025 the city said 2,000 Dazhong cabs also took foreign cards; Dazhong has said its drivers carry about 200 yuan for change.
- Hongqiao's exchange outlets stay open until the final international, Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan flight of the day has been handled, so late arrivals can still buy yuan.
Key Areas in Shanghai
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Exchange bureaux, banks and cash machines, as mapped by OpenStreetMap. The map loads only when you ask for it.
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Shanghai travel money FAQ
Where is the best place to exchange money in Shanghai?
For your first yuan, use the airport: Pudong has 15 counters and Hongqiao six, plus the trial points in the Airport Link Line stations. In town, bank branches with an exchange sign and authorised exchange firms change sterling; compare the posted rate first.
Does the Shanghai Metro accept contactless UK cards?
Yes, on every line since 28 June 2025, if the card is a contactless Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay, JCB or American Express card with small-amount password-free payment switched on. Keep the Metro Daduhui app or a service-centre ticket in reserve.
Do Shanghai taxis take foreign cards?
Some do. All take yuan cash and the city transport card, and in September 2025 the 2,000 Dazhong cabs fitted for it accepted UnionPay, Visa, Mastercard, Diners Club, JCB and American Express cards. Carry small notes.
Checked October 2026. Fees, fares and opening times change, so check locally before relying on them. Sources: Shanghai Municipal People's Government
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