China Travel Decisions · Food & Payment
Restaurant QR Failed: Wrong Code, Bad Translation, or Unpaid
Match the screen in front of you. A spinning page is not a failed payment and not a successful one.
Payment success
The wallet says success
Stop when the cashier agrees this table was received.
Confirmed failure
The page says failed
Use one other method only after the cashier agrees this table has no payment.
Status unknown
The screen is still spinning
A spinner is not a recorded success and not a recorded failure. Do not start a second payment.
Which screen is in front of you?
Choose one card. The explanation and the steps for the other screens stay closed.
What this screen means
Select a card above. Only that fault opens.
What went wrong
Planning by days instead of nights hides arrival, departure and intercity transfer days, so the itinerary looks fuller than it is.
Do this immediately
Rewrite the plan as nights, not days: list each overnight base and the number of nights, then mark every intercity move as its own travel day.
List every overnight base with its night count.
You are done when
Every city change appears as its own travel day with a door-to-door time, and no major sight is scheduled on a transfer day.
List every overnight base with its
List every overnight base with its night count.
Mark each city change as a
Mark each city change as a separate travel day and give it a realistic door-to-door duration.
Move any major sight off a
Move any major sight off a transfer day, or drop it.
Re-check that each base still has
Re-check that each base still has enough full days to justify the move.
If this is not resolved
Re-check that each base still has enough full days to justify the move. If this still is not resolved, use the cashier fallback.
What went wrong
The most common planning mistake is choosing too many destinations rather than the wrong ones.
Do this immediately
Rewrite the plan as nights, not days: list each overnight base and the number of nights, then mark every intercity move as its own travel day.
Count your main bases.
You are done when
Your base count matches what your trip length comfortably supports, and each base has at least two nights, with three for complex nature regions.
Count your main bases.
Count your main bases.
Compare that count with what your
Compare that count with what your trip length comfortably supports for a first visit.
Cut the stop with the weakest
Cut the stop with the weakest reason to be there, or merge two nearby stops into one base.
Re-check that remaining bases have at
Re-check that remaining bases have at least two nights, and complex nature regions three.
If this is not resolved
Re-check that remaining bases have at least two nights, and complex nature regions three. If this still is not resolved, use the cashier fallback.
What went wrong
The 2026 Spring Festival break runs nine days, from 15 February to 23 February, with 14 and 28 February as make-up workdays.
Do this immediately
Rewrite the plan as nights, not days: list each overnight base and the number of nights, then mark every intercity move as its own travel day.
List your travel dates against the 2026 public holiday windows.
You are done when
Your dates are checked against the 2026 holiday windows and make-up workdays, and transfers avoid the busiest holiday days where possible.
List your travel dates against the
List your travel dates against the 2026 public holiday windows.
Note any make-up workdays that fall
Note any make-up workdays that fall inside your trip.
Shift transfers away from the busiest
Shift transfers away from the busiest holiday days where your dates allow.
Re-check transport and hotel availability for
Re-check transport and hotel availability for the revised dates before booking.
If this is not resolved
Re-check transport and hotel availability for the revised dates before booking. If this still is not resolved, use the cashier fallback.
What to do for that state
Do not do this
- Do not treat a train or flight duration as the full cost of changing cities.
- Do not schedule a major sight, a long train and an evening show on the same day.
- Do not add a distant fourth or fifth destination just because the map looks easy.
- Do not book non-refundable transport before checking your dates against the 2026 holiday windows.
If that still fails
Your dates or route still will not fit after cutting stops and counting transfer days.
These steps apply only after the cashier agrees this table has no payment. While the screen is still spinning, the wallet says processing, or the cashier and the wallet disagree, do not start a second payment.
- Shorten the route to fewer regions and add the dropped region to a future trip.
- Only after the cashier agrees this table has no payment, use that one method and keep the receipt or the wallet success line.
- Re-check the plan against your actual arrival and departure flight times before booking anything non-refundable.
Write down: Final base list with night counts., Each transfer day with its door-to-door time., Holiday windows and make-up workdays that touch your dates., Any stop you dropped and why..
If you are still stuck
Your route still does not fit after cutting bases and counting transfer days.
Check the official page
This page helps you count transfer days, choose how many bases your three weeks can hold, and check your dates against China's 2026 public holiday windows. It does not book transport, set visa rules, or guarantee availability on any route.
Check your dates against China's 2026 public holiday windows
Sources
Checked 30 October 2026.
Official payment rules
- Shanghai government: China's main public holidays for 2026 Checked 2026-10-30.
- Shanghai government FAQ: 2026 public holiday dates and make-up workdays Checked 2026-10-30.
- Shanghai government: fireworks ban during the 2026 Spring Festival holiday Checked 2026-10-30.
No airline, rail or tour operator page was fetched for this page, so no operator evidence is listed.
Traveler case reports
- Case report: ChinaTravelBUG guide on counting real travel time in a China itinerary 2026-10-30. One traveler-written planning guide; its base-count table is a planning guideline, not a measured rate.
- Case report: DragonTrail 21-day route outline with hotel nights 2026-10-30. One suggested route outline; transport on the longer example must be checked for your dates before booking.
- Case report: GoChinaHoliday regional route lengths and daily pace 2026-10-30. One tour-operator guide; route suggestions are examples, not fixed tours.
- Case report: NihaoVisit 21-day first-time plan 2026-10-30. One traveler-written plan with its own cost and day split; treat as a single example, not a standard.
Payment rules and what a restaurant will accept can change. CTD is an independent travel resource, not a restaurant, a payment app, or a card issuer. Check the linked official page before you pay.