Although Taobao does not require users to have a Chinese phone number to sign up for an account, we still recommend that our readers use a Chinese phone number when registering for a Taobao account. The reasons for this are twofold. First, if there are any issues with your account, Taobao customer service will likely require a Chinese phone number in order to verify your identity. Second, having a Chinese phone number allows you to take advantage of all of Taobao’s features, such as using Alipay, participating in Taobao’s group buying deals, and more.
If you do not have a Chinese phone number, there are a few workarounds that you can use in order to register for a Taobao account. One option is to use a virtual phone number service such as Pinger or Google Voice. These services will provide you with a temporary phone number that you can use to sign up for Taobao. Once you have completed the registration process, you can then cancel the service.
Another option is to ask a friend or family member who has a Chinese phone number to help you sign up for a Taobao account. Once you have registered for an account, you can then add your own phone number to the account.
Once you have registered for a Taobao account, you will need to set up Alipay in order to make payments on the site. Alipay is an online payment platform that is owned by Alibaba, the company that also owns Taobao. In order to set up Alipay, you will need to link your Taobao account to a Chinese bank account. If you do not have a Chinese bank account, you can use a foreign credit card to set up Alipay.