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From memory WeChat verification only allows one verification every few months (and only if your account is old enough). In theory you can get a hostel employee to verify you, but they have usually used up their verification for that quarter.

AliPay only accepts foreign credit cards for Taobao purchases. You can't use them for in-person purchases; I verified this with Alipay's support team when I found I was being blocked in China.

I tried using Alipay with foreign card a year ago and it didn't work. I had to get a Chinese phone number and Chinese bank debit card to start using Alipay (this proved to be possible even on tourist visa, but only because of a friend who lives there, let me use their address and helped me with the whole process). Hopefully it's changed by now!

It's a huge pain. You have to download a specific version of the WeChat app from a Chinese app store and even then it may not work.