Connect WeChat
WeChat works with a verified WeChat Service Account (服务号). Personal WeChat, WeChat groups, Subscription Accounts and Mini Programs cannot be connected to Fareply or any other outside software.
Before you start
- The right account type. On mp.weixin.qq.com, choose 服务号 (Service Account). The Mini Program form looks similar but is a different product.
- Register at mp.weixin.qq.com, not at admin.wechat.com. The international admin site is meant for users outside mainland China, and its accounts may not reach Chinese tour operators and travellers.
- A fresh email address on your company's domain, for example
[email protected]. Each email can be used for only one WeChat account of any kind (Service Account, Mini Program, Open Platform), and it must not be linked to a personal WeChat. - An administrator with a personal WeChat account. They confirm changes by scanning QR codes.
- Verification (认证). Replies need a verified account. For companies outside mainland China it costs USD 99 per application, charged even if it fails, and review usually takes 7 to 15 working days. You need your company registration certificate, the administrator's ID, an application letter and an authorization letter (WeChat provides templates), and a recent phone bill or bank statement. The company name and registration number must match the certificate exactly.
Where your company is registered
The Service Account form asks for the place of registration. When we checked in October 2026 it listed Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. If your country is not listed, you cannot register a Service Account directly. The usual routes are a WeChat registration agency, which registers and verifies the account for your company (make sure your own administrator is set on it), or a company of yours registered in one of the listed places. Talk to us first; we can point you in the right direction.
Official guides: Service Account developer settings (WeChat, in Chinese).
Connect
The developer settings are on the WeChat Developer Platform (微信开发者平台). Log in by scanning with the administrator's WeChat and choose your Service Account. Everything below is under 服务号 › 基础信息 (Service Account › Basic information).
- IP whitelist. Under 开发密钥 (Developer key), add Fareply's server address to the API IP白名单. The Channels page in Fareply shows the address.
- AppID and AppSecret. Copy the AppID (starts with
wx). Under 开发密钥, show or reset the AppSecret and copy it. Resetting it stops any other software that uses the old one. - In Fareply, Channels, Connect WeChat: paste the AppID and AppSecret and click Check and connect.
- Server settings. Fareply then shows a Server address (URL), a Token and an EncodingAESKey, once. On the Developer Platform open 域名与消息推送配置 (Domain and message push settings), paste the three values, choose 安全模式 (Safe mode), save and enable.
- Test. Scan your account's QR code with a phone, follow it and send a message. It should appear in the Fareply inbox within seconds.
Paste the AppSecret only into Fareply, never into chat or email. Travellers and partners find you by scanning your account's QR code, which the website chat can also show.
WeChat's limits
- You can reply for 48 hours after the traveller's last message.
- At most 5 replies to one traveller message. Wait until they write again.
- About 600 Chinese characters per reply.
Common messages
The email address is already in use
The email was used for another WeChat account, often a Mini Program created by mistake. Use a new address; a Mini Program cannot be turned into a Service Account.
"This server's IP address is not on the account's IP whitelist"
Add the address shown on the Channels page to the API IP whitelist and try again.
"The AppSecret is wrong"
The AppSecret was reset in WeChat. Connect again with the current one.
"This account is not allowed to use the customer service API"
The account is not a verified Service Account. Complete verification with WeChat first.