Understand all the payment error messages of Alipay and WeChat Pay

Error messages in payment apps at the checkout can be frustrating both for merchants and their customers.

In this article, we will break down almost all error messages a merchant or a client can encounter while making a payment online or in-store and how to deal with them.

It is important to note that these error messages are not exhaustive and you may encounter other error messages when using WeChat Pay or Alipay. If you encounter an error message that is not listed here, it is recommended that you contact WeChat Pay or Alipay customer service for assistance.

What do the Alipay and WeChat Pay error messages mean?

1. 交易失败 (jiāo yì shī bài): Transaction failed

Solution: Check that you have a stable internet connection and that your WeChat Pay account is fully funded. If the problem persists, contact WeChat Pay customer service for assistance.

2. 余额不足 (yú é bù zú): Insufficient balance

Solution: Add money to your WeChat Pay account to cover the transaction amount.

3. 该订单已支付 (gāi dìng dān yǐ zhī fù): The order has already been paid for

Solution: Check your transaction history to confirm that the order has been paid. If you have any doubts, contact the seller or WeChat Pay customer service to resolve the issue.

4. 用户未授权该交易 (yònghù wèi shòuquán gāi jiāoyì): The user did not authorize this transaction

Solution: Check that you have authorized the transaction by entering your WeChat Pay password. If you forgot your password, reset it by following the instructions in the WeChat app.

5. 交易金额超限 (jiāoyì jiédiǎn chāoxiàn): Transaction amount exceeding the allowed limit

Solution: Check the transaction limit of your WeChat Pay account and adjust the transaction amount accordingly.

6. 支付密码错误 (zhīfù mìmǎ cuòwù): Incorrect payment password

Solution: Check that you have entered the correct WeChat Pay password. If you forgot your password, reset it by following the instructions in the WeChat app.

7. 请确认账户信息 (qǐng quèrèn zhànghù xìnxī): Please verify the account information

Solution: Check that the account information associated with your WeChat Pay account is correct and up-to-date.

8. 交易超时，请重试 (jiāoyì chāoshí, qǐng chóngshì): Transaction time expired, please try again

Solution: Retry the transaction, making sure you have a stable internet connection.

9. 支付方式未开通 (zhīfù fāngshì wèi kāitōng): Payment method is not available

Solution: Check the available payment methods for the seller and choose an alternative payment method.

10. 网络连接异常 (wǎngluò liánjiē yìchàng): Abnormal network connection.

Solution: Check that your Internet connection is stable and try again. If the problem persists, contact WeChat Pay customer service for help.

11. 该商户暂时不支持通过长按识别二维码完成支付。This merchant does not allow to complete the payment by pressing the QR code

This is an error message from WeChat Pay. As a precaution, WeChat Pay does not allow to save a payment QR code as an image and pay by recognizing this image from phone photo album.

Solution:

- Option 1: Instead of creating a link payment or screenshot of QR code generated from Silkpay APP, share the Silkpay static QR code with Chinese customers allowing them to scan this QR code and make the payment.

- Option 2: If you prefer to create the payment by link or make a screenshot of QR code generated from Silkpay APP, your Chinese customer will receive the link or QR code on his mobile phone and he needs to scan this QR code with another phone. In this case, the customer will need 2 mobile phones: one to display the QR code and the other to scan it with WeChat Pay to make the payment.

By using this list of error messages, you can better understand why a transaction failed and take the appropriate steps to resolve the issue.

12. 当前交易存在异常，为保障你的资金安全，暂无法完成支付。请谨防兼职刷单，虚假返利，免费送等骗局。 The current transaction is abnormal. For the safety of your funds, we cannot continue the transaction. Please be careful of fraudulent transactions.

Solution: Alipay or WeChat Pay may display this message when a customer makes a payment to a merchant for the first time. This message prevents the customer from completing the payment. To complete the payment, the Chinese customer needs to call Alipay's customer service number (95188) or WeChat Pay's customer service number (95017) in China to confirm that it is not a fraudulent transaction but a normal cross-border purchase transaction. The customer can ask Alipay and WeChat Pay to let them make the payment.

13. 无法识别，Cannot read:

This error message means that you are scanning the QR code with an unsuitable application. For example, scanning the UnionPay or Alipay QR code with the WeChat Pay app.

Solution: Check that you scan the QR code with its adapted application.

WeChat Pay QR code => With WeChat application.

Alipay QR code => With the Alipay application.

By following these solutions, you should be able to solve most common Alipay and WeChat Pay payment issues. If you're still having trouble, contact WeChat Pay customer service for further assistance.

Any questions?

About the author: Silkpay

Based in Paris, Silkpay provides omnichannel and secure payment solutions to help physical stores and e-commerce in Europe accept more than 30 of the world's most popular payment methods: Visa, Mastercard, CB, UnionPay, Alipay+, WeChat Pay as well as Asia-Pacific’s major e-wallets.

Silkpay is a winner of the LVMH Innovation Award. The company was also selected as a finalist for the "Money 20/20" Best Startup and in the "MPE Berlin” Startup Awards. Silkpay also won the "Best Fintech" awards from Capgemini and BPCE.

Silkpay helps merchants deliver the smoothest payment experience to their customers. We are a talented and international team driven by a single goal: to improve the customer experience and make payments simple and secure.