Is It Safe To Use Credit Card On AliExpress (AliExpress Payment Methods & Options)

The AliExpress website is completely secure because all the information sent to and from the site is encrypted with HTTPS. HTTPS is the industry-standard communications protocol for websites. Moreover, AliExpress also uses “3D Secure” for additional security while using credit cards. So, AliExpress is a completely safe platform to use your credit card.

Key Takeaways

• AliExpress is a 100% legit e-commerce company and it is the retail version of Alibaba
• AliExpress has various buyer protection policies that include Guaranteed refunds, Dispute process:, Guaranteed on-time delivery, etc.
• Debit card or Credit card is the most convenient payment method for AliExpress
• AliExpress uses the “3D Secure” system to protect the information and privacy of the cardholders

What is AliExpress?

AliExpress is the consumer version of Alibaba. Alibaba is a wholesale e-commerce platform whereas AliExpress is a consumer-based eCommerce platform. In AliExpress, individual businesses sell their goods to customers from all over the world. It is quite similar to Amazon but it is not as big as Amazon. AliExpress is located in China and it only operates with Chinese manufacturers and retailers. AliExpress sells a wide range of products in countless retail categories; you can find products from electronics and toys to fashion, furniture, beauty products, and many more. The main significant difference between AliExpress and Amazon is, you will find products at far cheaper prices than on Amazon.

Is AliExpress Legit?

The prices of different products are very low in AliExpress compared to the same products in stores or other online shops. So it creates doubts among the customers about the legitimacy of AliExpress and many customers wonder whether AliExpress is a legit and safe place to shop. As a customer, you are guaranteed that AliExpress is 100% legit. The platform is legit and it does exist, the system does work and customers do get their products. Moreover, AliExpress has strong buyer protection policies and they are – 

• Guaranteed refunds: If the package is damaged or lost then the customer will get a full refund
• Guaranteed on-time delivery: The customer will get their products in time or they will be refunded
• Dispute process: A customer can dispute any shipment through the customer care service of AliExpress
• Secure payment methods: AliExpress has secure payment methods for online credit and debit card payments   

Is AliExpress Safe to Use a Credit/Debit Card?

The most convenient payment method in AliExpress is debit/credit card. Though many customers are worried about the security of AliExpress and they are not comfortable with making payments using their credit or debit cards. Therefore, over the years, AliExpress has taken some security measures to make AliExpress the safest website to use credit or debit cards. In fact, the AliExpress payment system is as good as the Amazon payment system and other large online retail platforms. Moreover, AliExpress uses the “3D Secure” system to protect cardholders from potential frauds. This technology is mostly used in the banking sector. So when you are making a payment with your credit or debit card, you have to confirm the transaction with the SMS password. All these security features of AliExpress provide a customer safe online shopping experience.

Various Payment Methods & Options for AliExpress

Since AliExpress is a global online shopping platform, it supports different payment options. So, you will have many different ways to pay on AliExpress. All the available payment options in AliExpress focus on a better user experience and the highest security. Some of the common and convenient payment options on AliExpress are – 

• Credit & Debit Cards
• PayPal
• Payoneer
• Western Union
• Bank Transfers
• Other Payment Methods

Credit & Debit Cards

This is the most commonly used payment method on AliExpress. Because debit and credit cards are widely used around the world and banks have favorable terms and keep the fees to the minimum to encourage online transactions. Another advantage of this type of payment is, you can get money back from purchases. AliExpress supports Visa debit/credit cards, MasterCard credit cards, Maestro debit cards, and American Express. Moreover, it also supports virtual prepaid cards as long as it is connected to MasterCard or Visa.

PayPal

You can also make payment on AliExpress from your PayPal account and you don’t have to connect your bank account directly with AliExpress which is very convenient. Many buyers don’t want to share their credit/debit card info online so PayPal will be an alternative to card payments. However, PayPal is not available as a payment option for all the available products. So, first, you have to check with the sellers to see if they accept PayPal or not. If the seller accepts PayPal then you can only make the payment using your PayPal account.

Payoneer

Payoneer is also a popular online payment platform and it works quite similarly to PayPal. Payoneer is like a virtual bank and it also offers a card to its account holders. So you can make payment on AliExpress using the Payoneer card. The Payoneer service is authorized and regulated by different international bodies so making the AliExpress payment with Payoneer won’t be a problem.        

Western Union

Western Union is an international money transfer service provider and it is mostly used for urgent money transfers. This is not a very popular or most used payment method on AliExpress but it is good to know that AliExpress supports Western Union. However, there are some restrictions on using this payment method as you can only be able to use this payment method if the price of the product is over $20. 

Bank Transfers

AliExpress also supports bank transfer but this method is also a less used one like the Western Union. Moreover, similar to Western Union, Bank transfer is only applied to orders of $20 and up. Moreover, you have to make the payment in dollars and make an international transfer. So if you want to make a bank transfer then you definitely have to pay some additional fees. So, it is not a convenient payment method. 

Other Payment Methods

Depending on the sellers, here are some other less commonly used payment options on AliExpress – 

• Webmoney
• Yandex.Money
• QIWI
• DOKU
• Ticket
• tefPAY
• iDeal

Some of the above payment methods are particularly focused on one country or region so they might not be available globally.

Can You Make AliExpress Payment on Local Currency?

AliExpress allows its customers to make the payment using the local currency. You can easily select the AliExpress currency from the settings and change it to the currency of your bank card. AliExpress currently supports almost all the available world currencies so you shouldn’t face difficulties using your local currencies. If your currency is not supported by AliExpress then the payment will be exchanged in your bank. Usually, the conversion will be from dollars to your local currency. However, you should contact your bank in advance to discuss the exchange fees because you have to pay them.

The process to Change the AliExpress Currency

• First, visit the AliExpress home page from your browser and you will see a country flag in the upper right corner
• Click on the flag and you will see options, like Ship To, Language, Currency, etc.
• From the Currency option, choose the currency that you want to make the payment with
• Now all the product’s prices will be shown in the new selected currency

FAQs about Is It Safe to Use Credit Card on AliExpress

Why is AliExpress not accepting my debit card?

There are many reasons AliExpress might not expect your debit card. Some common reasons are – 

• Insufficient funds in card or account 
• The card is rejected by the bank or financial institution
• The card is not supported
• Incorrect information of the card
• Due to security reason
• Incomplete information of the order
• The expiry date of the card is wrong or the card is expired
• Something wrong with the card information
• The currency selected for the card/payment is not supported
• Exceeding the limit of your card 
• The wrong CVV code was entered 

How do I pay AliExpress without a debit or credit card?

If you want to buy products from AliExpress but you don’t have a debit or credit card then there is nothing to worry about. AliExpress accepts different payment methods that you can choose from and make the payment on AliExpress. For example – 

• PayPal
• Payoneer
• Web Money
• Western Union
• Mercado Pay
• Bank transfer, etc.

Is PayPal safe on AliExpress?

Yes, PayPal is completely safe on AliExpress. If you can find a seller that accepts PayPal then you can easily make the payment using your PayPal account.

Can you get scammed on AliExpress?

Like every other online shopping platform, there are chances you might be scammed on AliExpress. You can get all sorts of forged items in AliExpress so when ordering or buying any product make sure you check the user reviews of the product and also the seller. The reviews will help you understand whether the seller is genuine or fake and whether the quality of the product is good or bad.

What happens if I get scammed on AliExpress?

If you get scammed on AliExpress then you can open a dispute with the seller that scammed you. You have to include the reasons why you don’t want to receive the products. Moreover, you can escalate the dispute to the AliExpress team to investigate your dispute.

References:

1. https://alitools.io/en/blog/is-it-safe-to-use-credit-card-on-aliexpress/
2. https://www.tollotoshop.com/is-it-safe-to-use-credit-and-debit-cards-on-aliexpress/

Last Updated on October 3, 2022 by Magalie D.