You can receive payments but can't make them
A half-verified account sits in "receive only" mode. Finishing verification unlocks sending.
Half-done verification = receive-only lock.
What you'll see
If people can send you money but every payment you make is rejected, your account is in receive-only mode:
Why it happens
Until identity verification is fully complete, the app lets you receive but not send. One unfinished step is enough to lock sending.
Every case shows the diagnosis and the first step - free. The full step-by-step fix for this exact case, the decision tree, and the offline kit are $9.99.
When the fast fix isn't enough
In the kitWhen a step will not complete, the kit shows the exact entry path for your app version and the escalation line.
1. The exact menu path per app version
Menus move between updates; the kit maps the current one.
2. The trigger matrix
Which unfinished step most often causes receive-only lock.
3. Offline printable version
The path as a printable card for low-signal use.
What you are reading is free. The shut crate is the part you carry.
Two doors, one question. Walk through the one your answer opens.
Direct WeChat binding fails far more often than this two-hop route.
If nothing works
If verification will not complete:
- Contact customer service with your passport photo to finish verification manually.
- Use cash or ask a companion to pay and reimburse them.
- Try the other app — its verification state is separate.
Four levels deep — a failed payment never strands you.
Someone behind the counter can usually unblock you faster than any app.
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Most travellers know about three of these before they fly. This one is often not one of them.
Official sources
- Alipay Help Center
- WeChat Pay official
- People's Bank of China
- State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE)
Verified against these sources on 2026-09-20.