STOP USING YOUTRIP FOR YOUR CHINA TRIP🖐️🛑
I had a few big purchases for my china trip in December and knew that the 3% fee would be quite significant for me, so I tried using ChangiPay!
- Rates are lower as compared to YouTrip but for big purchases, you Def still save some money as there is no transaction fee
- Process is the same: just open up to scan and pay. You'll be able to see the amount and the exchange rate
- Can top up with PayNow as well and instantly into the ChangiPay account
- Withdrawal more troublesome, need to use wise and withdraw back to bank account so I suggest only top up what you need
- Small purchases below 200rmb still recommend to use YouTrip as their rates are better
When I first prepared for my trip to China, I researched various payment options to minimize currency exchange fees. Although YouTrip is popular, I found that for larger transactions exceeding 200 RMB, ChangiPay provided noticeably lower costs due to the absence of a 3% transaction fee. This difference not only saved me money but also gave me more control over my spending. Loading money onto ChangiPay is straightforward, especially with instant top-ups via PayNow, which was very convenient during my trip. The process of scanning and paying mirrored what I was used to with YouTrip, so there was no steep learning curve. However, withdrawing funds is a bit more complex, as it involves using the Wise platform before transferring back to your bank account. To avoid hassle, I recommend topping up only what you plan to spend. For smaller purchases under 200 RMB, though, YouTrip’s exchange rates remain competitive, so I still used it occasionally for convenience. Understanding these nuances helped me optimize my payment methods based on purchase size. If you’re going for a China trip and expect to make large payments — such as shopping or accommodation — ChangiPay is definitely worth considering. It reduces unnecessary fees and helps you get more value from your Singapore dollars abroad. Just remember to plan your top-ups carefully to avoid withdrawal complications.
you can try asking the store person to separate the payments! most of the time they r okay with it 🥰