Can I use my credit card in Chengdu?

You can use your credit card in Chengdu, but not as confidently as you might in Europe, the US, or Japan.

Where foreign cards are most reliable:
- major hotels
- international-style or upscale malls
- some polished restaurants
- some large chain stores

Where they become much less reliable:
- small restaurants
- neighborhood cafés
- older shops
- street food stalls
- ordinary daily purchases that locals pay for by QR code

The smarter setup for foreign visitors:
- Alipay first with your international card linked if possible
- physical credit card second for hotels and larger purchases
- some cash third as backup

My honest advice:
Do not land in Chengdu assuming your Visa or Mastercard will carry the whole trip. It might work often enough in polished places, but it is not the payment logic the city runs on. The least stressful approach is digital wallet first, card backup, and small cash reserve.