Do I need to buy a ticket for every ride?

Four ways in

There is a card made for visitors — the Beijing Pass, a multi-function smart card sold at the airport terminals. There is a metro QR code generated inside Alipay, under "Travel". There are vending machines with an English button that take WeChat, Alipay, a credit card or cash. And there are staffed counters where you say your destination and pay.

So the answer to "do I need a ticket each time" depends on which of those you pick. The QR code and the contactless card are the two that stop the question arising at all.

What the QR code covers

The metro QR code and contactless payment work across all 27 subway lines plus the two airport lines. That is the whole network rather than a subset, so one setup lasts the trip.

On the card side, UnionPay QuickPass, Mastercard and Visa are all accepted, domestic and international. If you already tap a card onto readers at home, the same reflex works here.

Why you tap out as well

Fares are distance-based. There is a starting price for journeys within six kilometres, then steps at 12, 22 and 32 kilometres, and beyond that a further increment every 20 kilometres with no upper cap. The system cannot price your trip until it knows where you left.

The Capital Airport Express is the exception, charged as a fixed fare on its own standard. Everywhere else, treat the exit tap as part of the journey rather than an afterthought.

Good to know

• The Alipay metro QR code covers all 27 lines plus both airport lines
• Fares are distance-based, so you tap out as well as in
• The Capital Airport Express is a flat fare, unlike the rest of the network

Sources: Beijing Municipal Government — How to buy tickets · Beijing Municipal Government — About subway fares · Updated Jul 2026