How to sell on WeChat marketplace: A guide for global brands
Last update: 28 May 2025
WeChat is the most popular social media site in China. Owned by Tencent, the biggest video company in the world, the WeChat social media platform boasts over 1.2 billion monthly users.
The overwhelming majority of Chinese people have at least one active account, with plenty of users using multiple accounts for selling products and services on WeChat. The app is an intrinsic part of daily life in China – offering messaging, news, group chats, calls and even payment processing services to its users.
For e-commerce business owners looking to break into the Chinese market, becoming a WeChat seller should be your first main goal in establishing your brand in the region.
This article will offer tips for e-commerce brands looking to start selling products on WeChat. We’ll be covering:
- Why should brands consider selling products on WeChat?
- How to get started with selling on WeChat
- How to process revenue from WeChat sales
- Why open a WorldFirst account
Looking for an international bank account that will allow you to send and receive Chinese yuan? Open a WorldFirst account for free now.
Why should brands consider selling products on WeChat?
In mainland China, WeChat is a crucial part of everyday life. While platforms like Facebook dominate in countries like the US or UK, WeChat goes far beyond social networking. It’s where people message friends, pay for their morning coffee, book doctors’ appointments and shop, all without ever leaving the app.
If your business is serious about reaching Chinese consumers, WeChat isn’t optional. It’s essential. Setting up a WeChat profile is one of the most important steps a brand can take to build visibility and trust in the Chinese market.
There are a few aspects that make WeChat an attractive platform to sell on:
- A massive, engaged audience: The WeChat app boasts over 1.2 billion monthly active users, making it one of the largest and most engaged platforms in China. This gives businesses direct access to a wide and receptive customer base.
- Built-in, easy-to-use mobile payment system: With WeChat Pay, users can complete purchases in just a few taps. The entire checkout process stays within the app, making it faster and more convenient and therefore an important driver of higher conversion rates.
- Actionable insights: WeChat marketing offers robust analytics, giving brands a clear picture of performance and audience behaviour. These insights help businesses optimise their marketing strategy and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
- Customisable mini programs: WeChat’s in-app Mini Programs let brands create lightweight, app-like experiences without the need for users to download anything. From exclusive promotions to loyalty features, these programs boost engagement and help keep customers inside the WeChat ecosystem.
How to get started with selling on WeChat
Step 1: Set up a WeChat Official Account
There are a few different types of WeChat accounts. To complete the registration process, you’ll need to:
- Fill in an application form including your country of origin, email, telephone number, business details, etc. Head to this page to get started: WeChat Service Account
- Verify your telephone number (via SMS)
- Pay a US$99 WeChat account verification fee
- Receive a phone call from WeChat to verify your account status and details
Once your application for a WeChat Service Account is accepted, read up on the terms and conditions. Depending on the type of WeChat account, you’re limited in the number of push notifications you can send over a set period. For example, WeChat Service Account holders can send out four push notifications per month. But, with a brand page, you can also send unlimited messages to followers who contact you directly.
By contrast, WeChat Subscription Accounts allow profile owners to post more frequently (once a day). Subscription accounts are not ideal for brands looking to make sales, as posts are less visible on WeChat users’ main feeds.
Step 2: Create a WeChat seller storefront
Unlike Amazon and Facebook marketplaces, Tencent’s app doesn’t have an on-site store building tool for WeChat sellers. Therefore, you’ll need to enlist the help of a third party to help you create your WeChat storefront. Many English-speaking third-party companies offer WeChat store building services. For instance, you can check out: Youzan, Weimob, and Wedian.
Once your store is complete, use a SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) e-commerce platform like Shopify to set up your online store. Next, identify a third-party app like WalktheChat to connect your WeChat store with your Shopify site. Linking the two sites allows WeChat sellers to manage transactions and inventory from one dashboard.
You might want to also consider enlisting the help of a marketing agency that specialises in selling products on WeChat. Chinese marketing agencies can help you identify opportunities to customise or gamify your WeChat shop. As a bonus, marketing agencies can offer ideas for marketing campaigns to boost engagement with your Chinese audience.
Step 3: Create a WeChat Advertising Account
Like Facebook and Instagram, there are multiple ad formats available to marketers. WeChat offers advertisers three main types of ads:
- WeChat Moment Ads: This is the most expensive form of display advertising. Moment Ads appear on users’ timelines and are the most visible ad type on the WeChat platform (the cost per 1,000 impressions is around 65 RMB).
- WeChat Mini Program Ads: Mini Program Ads work like display advertising campaigns and are optimised to appear where users find your content most relevant. For example, if your store sells gaming headsets, your ad could appear within a WeChat mini game (the cost per 1,000 impressions is around 11 RMB).
- WeChat Article Ads: Like native ads, Article Ads appear at the bottom of WeChat articles and are amongst the cheapest campaigns to run. However, engagement is typically low. Article Ads would be a good investment for brands looking to increase their follower count.
In addition to running ads on WeChat, new e-commerce brands should also do all they can to increase their organic reach on the platform. Attracting as many brand followers as possible is a great way of improving engagement. QR codes are a very popular way of getting your sales messages across to Chinese consumers.
Include marketing QR codes on all of your product packaging and connect the codes to an incentive, such as discounts on purchases for becoming a brand follower on the platform.
- Open 20+ local currency accounts and get paid like a local
- Pay suppliers, partners and staff worldwide in 100+ currencies
- Collect payments for free from 130+ marketplaces and payment gateways, including Amazon, Etsy, PayPal and Shopify
- Save with competitive exchange rates on currency conversions and transfers
- Lock in exchange rates for up to 24 months for cash flow certainty
How to process revenue from WeChat sales
Selling on WeChat opens up huge opportunities. But as an international business, figuring out how to actually receive your revenue is just as important. Since WeChat Pay is a domestic Chinese payment system, you’ll need a setup that allows you to get paid efficiently and compliantly.
Here are three common ways to process your WeChat sales revenue:
1. Partnering with a local Chinese entity
This is the most common route for businesses without a presence in China. A local entity – often an authorised WeChat partner – collects customer payments in Chinese Yuan (RMB). They then remit the funds to your overseas account via international wire transfer or cross-border payment.
This setup is widely accepted and generally compliant, especially if you already have a branch or local partner. However, it comes with service fees typically ranging from two to three percent, in addition to WeChat Pay’s transaction fees. It also means less direct control over your funds, which may be a concern if you’re working with tight margins.
2. Setting up directly through Tencent
For businesses seeking more direct control, it’s possible to apply for a WeChat Pay merchant account through Tencent. In this model, payments are settled directly from Tencent to your business account.
The main advantage is transparency and direct access to your funds. However, the process can take between two to four months to complete, and refund functionalities are more limited. Standard transaction fees still apply, typically between one and two percent.
3. Use an international cross border payment provider
For a faster, more flexible approach, many businesses choose to work with a cross-border payments provider such as WorldFirst. With operations in China and across the globe, WorldFirst allows you to open a CNH account (used for offshore RMB transactions) and receive WeChat Pay revenue without setting up a Chinese entity.
Through WorldFirst, you can:
- Receive payments in CNH
- Convert to over 20 currencies and hold those funds, including GBP, USD, and EUR
- Use the funds to pay suppliers or transfer internationally in 100+ currencies
This approach streamlines the process and reduces overhead, helping you move faster without sacrificing compliance or control. We explore the benefits of using WorldFirst in more detail in the next section.
Why open a WorldFirst account?
If you’re selling on WeChat or doing business with China, getting paid efficiently and in the right currency can be a challenge, as few international banks allow customers to send transfers to and from China.
WorldFirst is a multi-currency account that allows your business to grow beyond borders. Within one single, easy-to-manage platform, you can send international payments in 100+ currencies including Chinese yuan, or receive and hold in 20+.
Since 2004, over one million businesses have used WorldFirst and its partner brands to send over $300 billion around the world. Here are a few reasons why it’s worth opening a World Account:
Simplify international payments to China
If you’ve ever tried to pay a Chinese supplier, you know how often the process breaks down. Many traditional banks don’t support direct transfers in Chinese Yuan (CNY), making payments slow, expensive and unreliable.
With WorldFirst, you can open a CNH account: a special type of account for offshore Chinese yuan. When you send a payment to a supplier in mainland China, your CNH is automatically converted into CNY, ensuring it lands in your supplier’s account. WorldFirst is part of Ant Group, which means we have strong relationships with all major banks. This means you can:
- Set up your CNH account entirely online, no bank visits or local entities required
- Enjoy same-day or next-day transfers to any Chinese bank
Instead of waiting several days, or facing rejected payments, you can move money to China smoothly and securely, giving your suppliers confidence and strengthening your business relationships.
Hold and convert multiple currencies
With WorldFirst, you can hold balances in more than 20 currencies and send payments in over 100, all from a single platform. This means:
- Instantly open 20+ local currency accounts, including GBP, EUR, AUD and USD
- Receive payments from global customers and marketplaces for free
- Lock in exchange rates for up to 24 months to protect against currency fluctuations
- Enjoy transparent pricing with no surprise fees or ongoing account costs. Check out our WorldFirst UK pricing
Whether you’re collecting payments from customers in Europe or paying vendors in Southeast Asia, WorldFirst gives you the flexibility and control to operate like a local, everywhere you trade.
Save money through built-in integrations with leading e-commerce platforms
WorldFirst is more than a financial tool; it’s a full e-commerce payment ecosystem. That means it plugs directly into the platforms and marketplaces your business relies on every day.
- 1688.com: Source products at wholesale prices through one of China’s largest B2B platforms. Previously restricted to Chinese buyers, WorldFirst’s exclusive integration with 1688 lets you pay in CNY, even if you’re based overseas. This unlocks significant savings, with prices often 4% – 40% lower than international platforms.
- Amazon: WorldFirst is a certified participant in Amazon’s Payment Service Provider Program (PSPP). This allows you to receive your revenue from Amazon stores across multiple regions directly into your World Account, often on the same day or the next. From there, you can quickly pay suppliers or reinvest in stock, all without moving your money elsewhere.
- 130+ global platforms: From TikTok Shop and Shopee to PayPal, Etsy, Amazon and more, WorldFirst integrates with over 130 payment gateways and e-commerce platforms. This means you can receive funds from all your channels in one place and then pay out in whatever currency you need, whenever you need it.
Easily sell on WeChat with WorldFirst
If China is part of your growth strategy, WeChat should be at the heart of your sales channels. With over a billion active users and powerful tools like Mini Programs and WeChat Pay, it offers a uniquely integrated way to connect with Chinese consumers and sell more products.
But while selling on WeChat opens the door to China’s vast digital economy, handling payments can be complex for international brands. That’s where WorldFirst steps in.
By bringing all your revenue and payments together in one place, WorldFirst simplifies the financial side of cross-border trade so you can focus on growing your business, not managing admin.
How to sell on WeChat marketplace: A guide for global brands
Interested in selling on WeChat? We break down what you need to know about how to get started with selling on China’s biggest marketplace.
May / 2025
What is a China export licence (and what are the requirements?)
Learn about what a China export licence is and what the requirements are when exporting goods from China to the UK.
May / 2025
Why does China have two currencies?
China has two currencies, CNY and CNH. Learn about the differences between the two and why it matters when doing business with China...
Apr / 2025WorldFirst articles cover strategies to mitigate risk, the latest FX insights, steps towards global expansion and key industry trends. Choose a category, product or service below to find out more.
- Almost 1,000,000 businesses have sent USD$300B around the world with WorldFirst and its partner brands since 2004
- Your money is safeguarded with leading financial institutions
