Individual payment API in mainland China

Individuals in mainland China can apply for the Xiaodou payment API with a Chinese resident ID card and a bank card issued in mainland China. The API is the same seven-endpoint server-to-server interface used by sole proprietors and companies. Funds are collected and settled by a licensed payment company.

Eligibility

Individual accounts are not a trial tier. After onboarding, the credentials and interfaces are identical to those of other entity types. Applications are reviewed manually and are accepted for merchants in mainland China only; overseas entities cannot open an account directly.

Onboarding

1. Merchant onboarding

1. Register a seller account.
2. Choose the entity type: individual, sole proprietor or company.
3. Enter your Chinese resident ID card and a bank card issued in mainland China.
4. Submit for review.
5. After approval, merchant onboarding is complete.

2. Open Platform access

1. Sign the Open Platform service agreement and the business-scope compliance undertaking.
2. Apply for an Open Platform application.
3. Obtain appId and kid.
4. Register your public key, IP allowlist and notifyUrl.
5. Verify the first order with one small real payment.

How to integrate

Your website or app does not need enterprise qualifications and does not need to become a marketplace. Calls are made from your server; pages, products, delivery and after-sales stay in your own system.

1. Complete merchant onboarding with a Chinese resident ID card and a bank card issued in mainland China.
2. Apply for an Open Platform application. Obtain appId and kid, register your RSA2 public key, server egress IP allowlist and notifyUrl.
3. Create the order server-side. Use payUrl for the cashier page or the Alipay official QR code qrCode from the order response. Render the QR code in your own page, or turn payUrl into a QR code or a 302 redirect.
4. Receive and verify webhooks. Verify the raw bytes with XD-Webhook-v1, deduplicate by eventId, and update your own order database.
5. Check before go-live. Payment success is determined only by an order query or a verified webhook. Walk the go-live checklist and run one small real order.

Start with the five-minute quickstart; field-level details are in the API reference.

What you can accept

• Seven endpoints: create order, re-open payment, query order, close order, create refund, query refund, read settlement accounts and routing (read-only).
• Alipay and WeChat Pay. Inside Alipay you may choose Huabei or a credit card; inside WeChat Pay you may use a credit card — subject to what the cashier displays.
• Cashier pages: H5, plus WeChat JSAPI when the buyer opens the cashier inside WeChat.
• Alipay official QR code returned as qrCode in the order response.
• Signed webhook events using XD-Webhook-v1.

Fees and payout

• A 1.5% platform fee applies only to successful online payments; merchants keep 98.5%; fees start at CNY 0.01.
• Onboarding, activation and integration support are free. There is no setup fee, onboarding fee, activation fee or channel fee.
• Funds are split when the payment succeeds and automatically settled to the bank card bound to your account before noon the next day, including holidays. There is no manual withdrawal button.
• Separately agreed rates, if any, are shown per account on the "Fees" page in the merchant portal.

Boundaries

• The platform only collects money and reports payment status. Card delivery, account provisioning and shipping are handled by your own system.
• No sandbox, test application or callback simulator is provided.
• Onboarding is manually reviewed; it is not instant.
• WeChat JSAPI works only inside the WeChat browser.
• This service is for merchants in mainland China; it is not a worldwide offering.

FAQ

Can I apply without a business license?

Yes. Choose the individual entity type and complete onboarding with a Chinese resident ID card and a bank card issued in mainland China. No business license is required. The application is reviewed manually.

What do I need before integrating?

A Chinese resident ID card and a bank card issued in mainland China for onboarding, a notifyUrl that can receive POST requests, and your server egress IP addresses for the allowlist. After approval you receive an appId and kid and register your RSA2 public key.

Can an individual accept WeChat Pay?

Yes. WeChat JSAPI is available when the buyer opens the cashier inside the WeChat browser. Mobile browsers outside WeChat and native apps have no direct invocation form.

Which payment methods are supported?

Alipay and WeChat Pay. Inside Alipay you may choose Huabei or a credit card; inside WeChat Pay you may use a credit card, subject to what the cashier displays. These are payment tools inside the cashier, not separate channels.

How much does it cost?

A 1.5% platform fee applies only to successful online payments; merchants keep 98.5%; fees start at CNY 0.01. Onboarding, activation and integration support are free.

When do funds arrive?

Funds are split when the payment succeeds and automatically settled to the bank card bound to your account before noon the next day, including holidays. There is no manual withdrawal button.

Is there a sandbox or test application?

No sandbox, test application or callback simulator is provided. Use the local demo, the go-live checklist and one small real order to verify the integration.

Is this available outside mainland China?

No. Onboarding requires a Chinese resident ID card and a bank card issued in mainland China. Overseas entities and individuals cannot open an account directly.