r/chinatravel · Jul 2026· 1 reportsmall sample
SMS codes before you fly
English-language public forum. One July comment: ask the bank before departure to move SMS one-time codes to an in-app method.
Short answer
Two checks.
Restore overseas SMS yourself if the line is China Mobile. Confirm login and 2FA with your home bank on that network before you fly — there is no China list of foreign bank apps.
Keep the home SIM if the bank still texts that number. The 10086 codes do not log you into the bank.
Home bank app or websiteConfirm at home
China Mobile overseas SMSYes
China Mobile inbound callsYes
Compare
How the options compare
| Option | Status | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| China Mobile number | Yes | Free restore after a plan, benefit, or service change from 19 Aug 2026, which turns overseas SMS and inbound calls off. Use 10086, a shop, 10086 agent, or the China Mobile app. Tianjin provincial notice. |
China Mobile number
- Status
- Yes
- What to do
- Free restore after a plan, benefit, or service change from 19 Aug 2026, which turns overseas SMS and inbound calls off. Use 10086, a shop, 10086 agent, or the China Mobile app. Tianjin provincial notice.
Sources for this comparison
China Mobile number: China Mobile notice — international SMS / inbound-call switch (in Chinese)
Steps
Before you fly
1
Call or message your bank about login and 2FA
Ask two things: will the app open from mainland China, and can you move SMS one-time codes to in-app approval. Keep the home SIM if the bank still texts that number.
2
If the line is China Mobile, turn overseas SMS on
Send KTGJDX to 10086. China Mobile numbers only.
3
If you also need inbound international calls on that line, turn those on too
Send KTGJLH to 10086. Same carrier only.
Pitfalls
What travelers get wrong
Pitfalls 1
Treating a travel eSIM as the China Mobile switch
The assumption was the travel line would receive the bank’s overseas SMS. The notice is China Mobile numbers only.
Fix before you fly
Keep the home SIM if the bank still texts that number. If the line is China Mobile, use the 10086 steps above.
Pitfalls 2
Treating the SMS switch as the bank login
The assumption was turning overseas SMS on logs you into the bank. The notice only restores overseas SMS and inbound calls on that carrier.
Fix before you fly
Ask your bank whether the app opens and how 2FA works.
Forum signal · Apr–Jul 2026
What travelers report
Public forums, not rules
r/chinatravel · Jul 2026· 4 reportssmall sample
After a card fails
English-language public forum. After a home card was declined and an ATM kept a card, several July comments described funding Alipay from a prepaid digital card (Wise came up there). Forum workaround, not a bank policy.
r/chinatravel · Jul 2026· 1 reportsmall sample
One named euro bank app without a VPN
English-language public forum. One July comment: “Banking apps like N26 generally work fine without a VPN.” One named app, not a China list, not a VPN recommendation.
Public forums, not rules.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is online banking blocked in mainland China?
China Mobile’s notice does not list bank apps. What you can do yourself is the overseas-SMS switch on a China Mobile number (KTGJDX to 10086). Whether your bank’s app opens is that bank’s answer — confirm it on the home network.
I do not have a China Mobile number. What do I do?
The 10086 codes are China Mobile only. Confirm login and 2FA with your bank, and keep the home SIM if the bank still texts that number.
Do I need a VPN to open the bank app?
The tourist-VPN page covers legality, not bank login. Confirm with the bank whether the app opens from the mainland. Do not treat a VPN as the China Mobile SMS switch.
Sources1 officialLast checked 2026-08-24
Official references
Updated: