Written by Ivy Dong |
To optimize inbound payment services and enhance international visitors’ payment convenience on transportation, attractions, and shopping, Shanghai City officially launched the “Shanghai Pass” product on May 19th, 2024. The product is a multifunctional prepaid and unregistered card, allowing visitors to conveniently pay for public transport within Shanghai and over 330 cities across China. Furthermore, it supports payments at certain tourist attractions, shopping malls, convenience stores, etc. At the end of your China Tour, any unused small amounts in the card can be refunded.
In this article, we will provide a comprehensive guide about the Shanghai Pass, including its main types, where to buy and use it, how to refund it, and some frequently asked questions about this kind of pre-funded card.
Content Preview
- What is the Shanghai Pass?
- Who Should Get It?
- How to Get it?
- Where to Use?
- How to Refund or Cancel?
- Shanghai Pass vs Alipay / WeChat Pay
- Frequently Asked Questions about Shanghai Pass
- Plan Your Shanghai Tour with Us
What is the Shanghai Pass?
Shanghai Pass is a multifunctional prepaid card that doesn’t require real-name registration. It aims to help international visitors to conveniently make payment on local public transportation, attractions, museums, shopping, etc. Below are some detailed information about this kind of card.
Types of Shanghai Passes Available
There are three main types of Shanghai Pass that are suitable for international visitors. Here is a table for your reference, so that you can make a choice based on personal demands and preferences.
Type |
Price |
Advantage |
Applicability |
Validity Period |
General Pass |
20 RMB/USD 3 for the card cost, top up any amount based on your needs. Maximum stored value is 1,000 RMB/USD 138. |
Ready to use immediately; available for all public transportation across the city (including metro, maglev train, bus, taxi, ferry, etc.); remaining balance refundable. |
People who plan to have a long stay in Shanghai and mainly seek transportation convenience |
Permanently valid |
One Day Pass |
198 RMB/USD 27 |
Ready to use immediately; City-wide metro, bus, taxi and ferry travel + Huangpu River Cruise +Yu Garden + Shencheng (Shanghai) Double-Decker Sightseeing Bus + 800 RMB/USD 110 in consumption discounts across prime shopping areas, such as East Nanjing Road and Xintiandi. The card can be topped up repeatedly and used as a general Shanghai Pass card. |
People who want convenience and value for a one-day Shanghai trip. |
Valid before December 31, 2026. |
Shanghai Museum Pass |
299 RMB/USD 41 |
Include admission ticket to each of over 150 museums and cultural venues, including Shanghai Museum, Shanghai Science and Technology Museum and Shanghai Natural History Museum |
Museum enthusiasts |
Valid before December 31, 2026 |
Ancient Town One Day Pass |
169 RMB/USD 23 |
Focuses on Zhujiajiao Water Town, includes a boat ticket from Zhujiajiao metro station to the water town, the ticket to Kezhi Garden, an elegant afternoon tea in Shuyue Tower, one postcard from Qing Post Office |
Visitors who plan a day trip to Zhujiajiao Water Town |
Valid before December 31, 2026 |
Qingpu Two Day Pass |
799 – 919 RMB/USD 110 – 127 |
Designed for middle-aged and elderly people, focuses on Qingpu District, includes tickets for Grand View Garden Shanghai, a boat tour in Jinze Ancient Town, one of the three special experiences in Nanbei Art Gallery, one of the three special experiences and afternoon tea in Liantang Town, hotel in Zhujiajiao Water Town
One card can be shared by two travelers. |
Middle-aged and elderly people who plan to explore Qingpu |
Valid before December 31, 2026 |
Tips: You can choose when to activate the included benefits within the validity period. Once activated, the one-day and two-day passes are valid for 24 and 48 hours respectively.
Who Should Get It – Is it worth it for Tourists?
If you prefer physical card payments, don’t want to link a domestic payment account, or want to avoid mobile payment hassles, the Shanghai Pass will be a great choice for you.
More than just paying for transportation and attractions in Shanghai, the card can be used in over 330 other cities across China, like Beijing, Chengdu, Sanya, etc. So, it is also ideal if you plan to visit multiple cities in China.
The unlimited use of metro, bus and ferry offered by one-day and three-day passes make them also convenient for people relying on metro and bus travel.
How to Get Your Shanghai Pass
Purchase Online and Get Your Physical Card after Arrival in Shanghai
You can search for “Shanghai Tourists Pass (上海都市旅游卡)” mini-program in WeChat or Alipay, or download Suishenxing APP to buy Shanghai Pass online. After purchasing, you can get a QR code. To pick up your physical card, you just need to show the QR code at Pudong Airport T1 and T2 Service Points, Hongqiao Airport T1 and T2 Service Points or the other 25 service stations in the downtown area before December 31st, 2026.
You can scan the code at the back of the physical card to check detailed information about how to use it.
Purchase a physical card in Shanghai – Main Purchasing Stations
Or, you can directly buy Shanghai Pass at service centers of Pudong and Hongqiao airports or 20+ service points at certain metro stations. All these service points support Visa and MasterCard and no service fee applies, so it is quite friendly to foreign travelers. You can also top up or refund the card at any service point. Below is the full list of the service points for your reference.
Service Point Name |
Address |
Opening Hours |
Pudong Airport T2 Service Point |
Pudong Airport Terminal 2 International Arrivals Exit |
24 hours |
Pudong Airport T1 Service Point |
Pudong Airport Terminal 1 International Arrivals Exit |
24 hours |
Hongqiao T2 Terminal Service Point on B1 floor |
Customer Service Center No. 10, South Side of B1 Floor, Terminal 2, Hongqiao Airport |
07:30 – 18:30 |
Hongqiao Airport T1 Service Point |
Hongqiao Airport Terminal 1 International Arrivals Exit |
9:00 – 23:00 |
Shanghai Pass |
609 Jiujiang Road |
9:30 – 20:30 |
Lujiabang Service Center |
1298 Lujiabang Road |
Mon–Fri: 9:30 – 18:30
Sat–Sun: 9:30 – 16:30 (Closed on national holidays) |
Shanghai Railway Station Service Point |
Metro Line 1, Shanghai Railway Station Hall, Exit 5 |
7:00 – 22:00 |
People’s Square Service Point |
Metro Line 1, People’s Square Station Hall, Exit 20 |
7:00 – 22:00 |
Xujiahui Service Point |
Metro Line 1, Xujiahui Station Hall, Exit 10 |
7:00 – 22:00 |
Xinzhuang Service Point |
Metro Line 1, Xinzhuang Station Hall, near Exit 1 |
7:00 – 22:00 |
Hongqiao Railway Station Service Point |
Hongqiao Railway Station, 1st Floor, near the South Exit of the Station Building |
7:30 – 18:30 |
Songhong Road Station Service Point |
Metro Line 2, Songhong Road Station, Exit 1 |
7:00 – 22:00 |
Loushanguan Road Station Service Point |
Metro Line 2, Loushanguan Road Station, Exit 2 |
7:00 – 22:00 |
Zhongshan Park Service Point |
Metro Line 2, Zhongshan Park Station Hall, Exit 7 |
7:00 – 22:00 |
Jing’an Temple Service Point |
Metro Line 2, Jing’an Temple Station Hall, Exit 5 |
7:00 – 22:00 |
Lujiazui Service Point |
Metro Line 2, Lujiazui Station Hall, Exit 3 |
7:00 – 22:00 |
Hongtu Road Station Service Point |
Metro Line 2, Hongtu Road Station Hall, near Exit 3 |
7:00 – 22:00 |
Guanglan Road Station Service Point |
Metro Line 2, Guanglan Road Station Hall, near Exit 4 |
7:00 – 22:00 |
Caoyang Road Station Service Point |
Metro Line 3, Caoyang Road Station Hall, near Exit 6 |
7:00 – 22:00 |
Yishan Road Service Point |
Metro Line 3, Yishan Road Station Hall, Exit 3 |
7:00 – 22:00 |
Dalian Road Station Service Point |
Metro Line 4, Dalian Road Station Hall, Exit 3 |
7:00 – 22:00 |
Oriental Sports Center Service Point |
Metro Line 6, Oriental Sports Center Station Hall, Exit 4 |
7:00 – 22:00 |
South Shaanxi Road Service Point |
Metro Line 10, South Shaanxi Road Station, Transfer Passage 1, near Exit 6 |
7:00 – 22:00 |
Hanzhong Road Service Point |
Metro Line 12, Hanzhong Road Station Hall, Exits 6 & 7 |
7:00 – 22:00 |
West Nanjing Road Service Point |
Metro Line 13, West Nanjing Road Station Hall, near Exit 11 |
7:00 – 22:00 |
Where to Use the Shanghai Pass
Shanghai Pass has covered food, accommodation, transportation, and tourism resources, including well-known scenic spots and special shopping malls. Taking Shanghai Pass, you can also get access to buses, subways, taxis and ferries across the city to enjoy a sightseeing tour in Shanghai.
Furthermore, public transport systems in over 330 cities across China at or above prefecture-level also accept the Shanghai Pass.
Metro/Bus Coverage
Shanghai Pass standard card covers all Shanghai’s public transportation network. That is to say, you can conveniently tap the card to pay for all 21 operational metro lines, over 1,500 regular bus routes, the only Shanghai Maglev Demonstration Line in Shanghai, and 17 ferry routes on the Huangpu River. The one-day pass currently covers city-wide travel by metro, bus, taxi and ferry.
Top Included Attractions
Here is the list of the attractions included with the Shanghai Pass:
Attraction Name |
Address |
Oriental Pearl TV Tower |
No. 1 Century Avenue, Lujiazui, Pudong New Area, Shanghai |
Shanghai Museum |
No. 201 Renmin Avenue, Huangpu District, Shanghai |
Shanghai Museum East |
No. 1952 Century Avenue, Pudong New Area, Shanghai |
Shanghai Wild Animal Park |
No. 178 Nanliu Road, Xuanqiao Town, Pudong New Area, Shanghai |
Huangpu River Cruise |
No. 481 East Zhongshan 2nd Road, Shanghai |
Shanghai Tower (Observation Deck) |
No. 501 Yincheng Middle Road, Lujiazui Financial Trade Zone, Shanghai |
Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park |
No. 166 Yifei Road, Nanhui New City, Pudong New Area, Shanghai |
Shanghai Natural History Museum |
No. 510 West Beijing Road, Jing’an District, Shanghai |
Shanghai Astronomy Museum |
No. 380 Lingang Avenue, Pudong New Area, Shanghai |
Jin Mao Tower |
No. 88 Century Avenue, Pudong New Area, Shanghai |
Shanghai Ocean Aquarium |
No. 1388 Lujiazui Ring Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai |
China Art Palace |
No. 205 Shangnan Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai |
Guangfulin Cultural Relics |
No. 3260 Guangfulin Road, Songjiang District, Shanghai |
Shanghai Happy Valley |
No. 888 Linhu Road, Sheshan Town, Songjiang District, Shanghai |
Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden |
No. 3888 Chenhua Road, Songjiang District, Shanghai |
Shanghai Zoo |
No. 2381 Hongqiao Road, Shanghai |
Shanghai Great World |
No. 1 South Xizang Road, Shanghai |
West Bund Museum |
No. 2600 Longteng Avenue, Xuhui District, Shanghai |
Power Station of Art |
No. 678 Miaojiang Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai |
Shanghai Auto Museum |
No. 7565 Baoyuan Road, Anting Town, Jiading District, Shanghai |
Shanghai “City Sightseeing” Bus |
Various stops along the city sightseeing bus loop |
Shanghai Guanfu Museum |
37F, Shanghai Tower, No. 501 Yincheng Middle Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai |
Shanghai Film Museum |
No. 595 Caoxi North Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai |
Aurora Museum |
1F, Aurora International Building, No. 99 Fucheng Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai |
Madame Tussauds Shanghai |
Room 10-2, 10F, New World Department Store, No. 2-68 West Nanjing Road, Shanghai |
Shanghai Guyi Garden |
No. 218 Huyi Highway, Shanghai |
Xisha Mingzhu Lake Scenic Area |
No. 333 Sanhua Highway, Chongming District, Shanghai |
Any Other Scenarios to Use Shanghai Pass
Shanghai Pass has been available for more than 2,000 stores and 50 resorts in Shanghai. The 1-day pass have different discounts to offer. For example, you spend over 500 yuan and get 150 yuan off. You need to pay attention to specific conditions and terms when you buy it.
Listed below are merchants where you can use your Shanghai Pass for shopping:
- New World City: No. 2-88 West Nanjing Road, Shanghai
- First Foodhall: No. 720 East Nanjing Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai
- Nonggongshang Supermarket
- Haode Convenience
- Kedi Convenience
- Liangyou Convenience
- Laiyifen
- Huijin Department Store: No. 1000 Zhaojiabang Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai
- First Pharmacy: No. 616 East Nanjing Road, Shanghai
How Do I Refund or Cancel My Shanghai Pass?
Before a refund or cancellation, you need to make sure of the type of your Shanghai Pass and keep it undamaged.
General Pass: available for return. The refund rules are as follows:
- Basic fee for the card: CNY 20 (non-refundable)
- Balance <CNY 100: Full cash refund
- Balance = CNY100: Cash refund with a 5% service charge deducted
- Balance > CNY100: Non-refundable
One-day Pass: The benefits pack is non-refundable once activated. Only the basic fee for the card of CNY 20 can be refunded.
Other types of Shanghai Pass: non-refundable.
Tips:
- The purchase receipt is required when applyingfor a If you plan to get a refund before leaving, keep top-ups under CNY 100.
- You’re advised to return Shanghai Pass at customer service centers at Metro Line 1 and 2 stations or in Hongqiao and Pudong airport terminals because it is time-saving and reliable.
Shanghai Pass vs Alipay / WeChat Pay – Which One to Choose?
Shanghai Pass and Alipay / WeChat Pay are complementary. In brief, Shanghai Pass guarantees you can get around by public transportation, while Alipay and Wechat Pay cover most everyday transactions during your travel in Shanghai, from dining and shopping to paying at small stores. So you can use them together. Shanghai Pass is quite useful when you just arrive in Shanghai and do not have a Chinese phone number to activate the transport code in Alipay or WeChat.
Alipay / WeChat Pay |
Shanghai Pass |
|
Best for |
Restaurants, shops, street vendors, online payments |
Metro/bus gates, some passes include tickets for attractions |
Coverage |
Most daily spending (about 90% ) |
Mainly public transport |
Internet required? |
Yes |
No |
Setup required |
Usually requires bank card linking and real-name identity verification |
Purchase and use immediately |
Pros |
Widely accepted, works almost everywhere |
Fast at turnstiles, no internet or battery dependency, no registration required |
Cons |
Occasional network lag
Some small stalls or old shops may not accept it Requires real-name registration |
Limited usage scope
less convenient for daily spending than mobile payments |
Suitable for |
Most travelers |
Tourists who take the metro/bus often and worry about phone battery or signal |
Frequently Asked Questions about Shanghai Pass
Is the Shanghai Pass Worthy of 2-day Visit?
That will depend on how frequently you use the card. More than immense convenience for payment needs across transport, attractions, and shopping in Shanghai, Shanghai Pass also grants you discounts on public transport transfers within the city (1 RMB off for metro and bus travel per time).
If you plan to visit Yu Garden, take a Huangpu River Cruise, and a Double-Decker Sightseeing Bus, buying a one-day pass (198 RMB) will be well worthy. The card not only covers these three activities (total value: 260 RMB) but also includes unlimited public transport in the city.
Recommended Shanghai 2-day Tour:
Does Shanghai Pass Include Airport Transfers?
The general Shanghai Pass is available for all public transportation in Shanghai, including airport transfers.
You can take Metro Line No. 2 and then transfer to Maglev Train to Pudong airport, or directly take Metro Line No. 2 or No. 10 to get to Hongqiao airport with Shanghai Pass.
Besides, Shanghai Pass is available for airport shuttles at daytime and at night. If you hail a taxi to the airport, Shanghai Pass will be a big help. But, online car-hailing is not included.
If you hold a one-day pass, you’ll need to pay for the Maglev train additionally as it is not included in these card types. Read the detailed information above about the 1-day card.
Shanghai Maglev Train
Related reading: Shanghai Airport Transportation
Can I Share My Shanghai Pass with Others?
Shanghai Pass is available to more than one person, especially consumption. The holder is able to pay for others in scenic spots and shopping malls. But, it is partly limited. If you take subway or cruise at Huangpu River, Shanghai Pass is only used for one person at the same time.
Plan Your Shanghai Tour with China Xian Tour
You may have a basic understanding of the Shanghai Pass, but you still might be unsure how to kickstart your Shanghai tour. That’s where China Xian Tour‘s professional travel consultant team comes in. With over 15 years of experience, they are experts in their knowledge of Shanghai and other tourist cities in China. Just feel free to contact them about your travel preferences and requirements, and they will advise either a proper preset itinerary or customize your ideal trip from scratch.
