Pricing — What You Pay for a China Train Ticket
Version 1.0 · Effective 26 October 2026
One price, in dollars, before you pay. Here is exactly how it is made up — the fare, the exchange rate and our fee, with real numbers.
1. The short version
You pay one amount, in US dollars. It is the China Railway fare plus our booking service fee, worked out before you pay and shown to you in full. Nothing is added at checkout — no card surcharge, no per-passenger extra, no processing fee.
We do not mark up the fare. The railway sets it in yuan and we convert it; the only money we keep is the service fee described below.
2. The fare
Fares are set by China Railway in Chinese yuan (¥) and depend on the route, the train type (G and D high-speed services cost more than slower ones), the seat class, and sometimes the departure time. We have no control over them and cannot discount them.
We convert at the rate shown on this site — currently ¥1 = US$0.1385. Because the railway prices in yuan, the dollar figure moves slightly with the exchange rate between your quote and your payment.
3. Our service fee
Our fee is a fixed amount in one of three bands, and the band is decided by the dollar value of the ticket. It is not a percentage, so it does not grow as the fare grows.
| Fare for one ticket | Our service fee |
|---|---|
| Under US$30 | Fixed US$8 |
| US$30 to US$50 | Fixed US$10 |
| Over US$50 | Fixed US$12 |
Three things that do not change the fee: the route, the seat class, and whether the passenger is an adult or a child — the fee is the same for everyone on the same ticket. A first-class seat and a second-class seat on the same train pay the same fee; only the fare differs.
The fare and the fee are added together and rounded up to a whole dollar. That rounded number is the price in the search results and the price your card is charged — the same number in both places.
4. Worked examples at today’s rate
| Typical ticket | Fare (¥) | Fare (US$) | Our fee | You pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short regional hop, second class | ¥54.5 | US$7.55 | US$8.00 | US$16 |
| Mid-length trip, second class | ¥250 | US$34.63 | US$10.00 | US$45 |
| Beijing → Shanghai, second class | ¥553 | US$76.59 | US$12.00 | US$89 |
| Beijing → Shanghai, first class | ¥933 | US$129.22 | US$12.00 | US$142 |
| Beijing → Shanghai, business class | ¥1748 | US$242.10 | US$12.00 | US$255 |
These are examples, not quotes. The exact total for your train appears in the search results and again, line by line, on the booking page before you submit anything.
5. Tax
The total shown is what your card is charged. Where a tax authority requires tax to be collected on our service, it is already inside that figure rather than added afterwards. Payment is processed by Waffo Pancake, who appear on your statement as the merchant.
6. Where the price appears
In search results — every train shows its total price per person, already including our fee. Sort by price and you are comparing final amounts, not fares.
On the booking page — the fare, our fee and the total are itemised before you submit, so there is no arithmetic to do yourself.
On your order page — the same breakdown stays available after booking, alongside what you have paid.
7. If we cannot get your ticket
If the train sells out between your search and our purchase, you pay nothing and the service fee is not kept. If we take payment and then cannot issue the ticket, you get a full refund including the fee — see the Refund Policy for the exact terms.
8. Questions about a price
Email traintickets@trainticketschina.com with the route, date and what you were quoted. We answer within one business day, and always within two.
All train routes we cover
Every route below has a dedicated page with live timetables, USD fares and a direct booking link.