Offer WeChat Pay payments
Overview
WeChat Pay is a redirect-based digital-wallet method for customers in China. The customer selects WeChat Pay in Cleverbridge, continues in a hosted payment flow, and authorizes the payment by scanning a QR code with the WeChat app.
WeChat Pay is available only in Checkout 2.0 when the customer's country is China and the checkout currency is Chinese yuan (CNY).
To add WeChat Pay to your checkout, contact Client Experience.
This page explains WeChat Pay from the client's perspective. You can share the Pay with WeChat Pay guide with customers who need help completing a payment.
WeChat Pay at a glance
Why offer WeChat Pay?
WeChat Pay gives customers in China a familiar way to pay with a digital wallet without entering card details in the checkout.
According to the OECD's Competition in Mobile Payment Services report, WeChat Pay held an estimated 42% of China's mobile-payments market in 2024. Together, WeChat Pay and Alipay accounted for approximately 96% based on the report's estimates.
The hosted QR-code flow lets customers authorize the payment in the WeChat app while keeping the Cleverbridge checkout experience straightforward.
Cleverbridge order flow
- The customer selects WeChat Pay in Checkout 2.0 and selects Buy now.
- Cleverbridge redirects the customer to the hosted payment flow.
- The hosted page displays the purchase reference and amount. The customer selects Continue to WeChat Pay.
- The hosted flow displays a QR code with a 30-minute timer.
- The customer scans the QR code with the WeChat app and authorizes the payment before the timer expires.
- After the payment flow finishes, the customer returns to the Cleverbridge confirmation page.
- Cleverbridge updates the purchase after receiving the payment result. After successful payment confirmation, the product is delivered and the invoice becomes available.
The screens in the hosted flow and WeChat app are controlled by the payment services. They can change independently of the Cleverbridge checkout.
While Cleverbridge waits for a final payment result, the purchase remains Awaiting Offline Payment. This includes cases where the customer leaves the hosted flow or lets the QR code expire. After an authorized payment, the purchase changes to Paid, the product is delivered, and the invoice becomes available. If WeChat Pay rejects the payment, Cleverbridge shows Payment not authorized and records the transaction status as Rejected.
Incomplete and rejected payments
If the customer does not finish the hosted payment flow, Cleverbridge returns them to a Complete your payment page. The purchase remains Awaiting Offline Payment because Cleverbridge has not received an authorization or rejection.
The confirmation page does not provide a link back to the WeChat Pay flow. To try again, the customer uses the payment link in the Cleverbridge email for the order. An authorized client user can also locate the purchase in SCM, open the email under Purchase Details > Emails, and provide its payment link to the customer. For instructions, see Manage customer emails. The link remains available after an incomplete attempt and starts a new hosted payment flow.
If WeChat Pay rejects the payment, the transaction status is Rejected. The customer sees Payment not authorized and receives retry instructions by email.
The email also contains a Change Payment link. The current change-payment flow uses Checkout 1.0, where WeChat Pay is not available. To retry with WeChat Pay, the customer must use the payment link in the email rather than Change Payment.
Subscriptions and renewals
WeChat Pay can be used to purchase a subscription, but it does not create a reusable payment authorization. The customer must complete a new payment manually for every renewal, regardless of the amount.
At renewal, Cleverbridge sends the customer a payment reminder with a link to complete the payment. If payment is not received, the subscription follows the standard offline-payment lifecycle and can move to Hold. After Cleverbridge receives payment confirmation, the purchase status changes to Paid.
Refunds
WeChat Pay supports full and partial refunds. Use the standard Cleverbridge refund workflow. For available refund options and instructions, see Handle refunds.
Refund processing is asynchronous, and the payment service can affect when the refunded amount appears in the customer's wallet.