How to Call China from the US: +86 Dialing Guide & Rates in 2026

To call China from the US, dial 011 + 86 + area code + local number from a US landline, or +86 + area code + local number from a mobile phone (hold the 0 key to get the +). Drop any leading 0 from the Chinese number. China is one of the more expensive corridors from the US — major US carriers charge $1.50 to $3.00 per minute for direct-dialed calls. This guide explains the dialing format, area codes, time-zone planning, and how to reduce the cost.

The Chinese American community is the largest Asian American group by ancestry, with roughly 5.2 million people in the US — about 2.4 million of them born in China. Combined with US business ties to manufacturing hubs in Shenzhen, Dongguan, and Shanghai, and tourism to Beijing, Xi'an, and Hong Kong SAR, that means millions of US-to-China phone calls every month. Most of those callers are paying far more than they need to.

What is the country code for China?

The country code for China is +86 — also written as 0086 (when dialed from countries that use 00 as the international access code) or "86 country code." It is assigned by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) under the E.164 standard and is also called the China dialing code, China phone code, or China ISD code. Hong Kong (+852) and Macau (+853) have their own codes; Taiwan uses +886. This guide covers mainland China only.

How to Dial China from the US: Step by Step

Step 1: Identify the type of number

Chinese mobile numbers are always exactly 11 digits and start with 1 — specifically 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, or 19. Landline numbers start with a 2 to 3-digit area code: Beijing 10, Shanghai 21, Guangzhou 20, Shenzhen 755, Chengdu 28, Chongqing 23. Domestically, landlines are dialed with a leading 0 (010, 021, 0755) — that 0 is the Chinese trunk prefix and must be dropped when calling from abroad.

Step 2: Use the right format

• From a US mobile phone: press and hold the 0 key until + appears, then type +86 followed by the area code (no leading 0) and the local number.
• From a US landline: dial 011 86 then the area code and local number.
• Example — Beijing landline: domestic 010 8765 4321 becomes +86 10 8765 4321 when calling from the US.
• Example — Shanghai mobile: domestic 13912345678 becomes +86 13912345678 (no 0 to drop — mobiles don't carry the trunk prefix).

Step 3: Pick the cheapest route

Direct-dial from a US carrier costs $1.50–$3.00 per minute to China. With Kinvo's browser-based dialer, the same call is $1.84 to landlines or $2.49 to mobiles — and importantly, no $10–$15/month plan add-on is required, so a single 30-minute call costs ~$56 instead of $90+ on a carrier plan plus the plan fee itself.

Cost to Call China from the US

Method	Landline Rate	Mobile Rate	Monthly Fee
Kinvo (browser)	$1.84/min	$2.49/min	None — pay as you go
AT&T direct-dial	$3.30/min	$3.30/min	None (rates this high)
AT&T World Connect	~$0.40/min	~$0.40/min	$10/month add-on
T-Mobile direct-dial	$2.99/min	$2.99/min	Included with newer plans
WeChat (app-to-app)	Free	Free	Both sides need WeChat

Real cost example: A 20-minute call to a Beijing landline with Kinvo costs $0.05 + (20 × $1.84) = $36.85. On AT&T direct-dial that same call costs $66.00. With an AT&T World Connect add-on, $0.40 × 20 = $8, but you also pay $10/month for the plan — so unless you make 25+ minutes of international calls every month, the no-commitment Kinvo route is cheaper overall.

Should I Use WeChat Instead?

WeChat is free for app-to-app voice and video, and it is the dominant messaging app in China. If your contact in China already uses WeChat and has reliable internet, that is the cheapest option. The trade-offs:

• The recipient must have WeChat installed. Many elderly relatives in smaller cities use only regular phones, not smartphones.
• WeChat connectivity can be unreliable. The Great Firewall, mobile data limits in remote provinces, and WeChat's intermittent rate-limiting all degrade voice quality.
• WeChat-to-phone calls (WeChat Out) were discontinued in most regions years ago. Today WeChat only supports app-to-app.

VoIP services like Kinvo are the right choice when you need to reach a regular Chinese landline or mobile — which includes most older relatives, hotels, suppliers, hospitals, and businesses. WeChat is for when both sides already use the app. For a fuller comparison, see WiFi calling vs VoIP for international calls.

Chinese Phone Number Format

Chinese numbers follow a specific format depending on whether you are calling a landline or mobile:

• Landlines: 2 to 3-digit area code + 7 to 8-digit local number. Example: Beijing landline 010 8765 4321 becomes +86 10 8765 4321 (drop the 0).
• Mobiles: 11 digits starting with 1 (specifically 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, or 19). Example: 13912345678 dialed from the US is +86 13912345678. Mobile numbers don't have a trunk prefix.
• Toll-free: 400 and 800 numbers exist in China but generally cannot be dialed from outside the country.

Major City Area Codes

City	Area Code (international)	Domestic Form
Beijing	10	010
Shanghai	21	021
Guangzhou	20	020
Shenzhen	755	0755
Chengdu	28	028
Chongqing	23	023
Tianjin	22	022
Hangzhou	571	0571

Best Times to Call China from the US

China uses a single national time zone — CST (UTC+8), sometimes called Beijing Time — across the entire country, including Xinjiang (which solar-wise sits two zones west). The offset from US time zones is 12 to 16 hours depending on daylight saving:

• US Eastern Time: Beijing is 12 hours ahead in summer (EDT), 13 hours ahead in winter (EST). 9:00 PM in New York (EDT) = 9:00 AM the next day in Beijing — a natural window to catch family before their workday.
• US Central Time: Beijing is 13 hours ahead in summer (CDT), 14 in winter. 7:00 PM in Chicago = 8:00 AM the next day in Beijing.
• US Pacific Time: Beijing is 15 hours ahead in summer (PDT), 16 in winter. 5:00 PM in Los Angeles = 8:00 AM the next day in Beijing.
• Family-call windows: US morning (7–9 AM ET) = Beijing evening (7–9 PM) — when grandparents are home after dinner. US late evening (9–11 PM ET) = Beijing morning (9–11 AM) — when relatives are starting their day.
• Business windows: US night (10 PM ET) to US early morning (6 AM ET) covers the full Beijing business day, but most US firms book overlap calls at 8–10 PM ET (9–11 AM Beijing) or 8–10 AM ET (8–10 PM Beijing).

Major Chinese Carriers

Three state-owned operators cover the entire Chinese mobile market:

• China Mobile — the largest, with roughly 950 million subscribers. Common mobile prefixes: 134–139, 147, 150–152, 157–159, 178, 182–184, 187–188, 198.
• China Unicom — about 330 million subscribers. Common prefixes: 130–132, 145, 155–156, 166, 175–176, 185–186.
• China Telecom — about 410 million subscribers. Common prefixes: 133, 149, 153, 173, 177, 180–181, 189, 199.

Kinvo routes calls to every Chinese mobile carrier at the same per-minute rate — no premium-network surcharges.

Common Pitfalls When Dialing China

• Forgetting to drop the leading 0: the most frequent mistake. Beijing's domestic 010 becomes just 10 when dialed internationally. Dialing +86 0 10 will fail.
• Confusing Hong Kong with mainland China: Hong Kong is +852, Macau is +853, mainland China is +86. They are separate telephone administrations.
• Assuming Skype still works: Microsoft shut down Skype in May 2025. Former Skype users calling China should use VoIP services like Kinvo or app-to-app via WeChat. See Skype alternatives.
• WiFi calling won't make this cheaper: turning on WiFi calling on your phone still routes the call through your carrier and bills at carrier rates. The full breakdown is in WiFi calling vs VoIP.

Frequently asked questions

How do I dial China from the US?

From a US mobile phone, dial +86 followed by the Chinese area code (no leading 0) and the local number. From a US landline, dial 011 86 then the area code and local number. Example: a Beijing landline shown domestically as 010 8765 4321 is dialed from the US as +86 10 8765 4321.

What is the country code for China?

The country code for China is +86. It applies to mainland China only — Hong Kong has +852, Macau has +853, and Taiwan uses +886. China's +86 is assigned by the ITU under the E.164 international numbering standard.

Why are calls to China so expensive?

China's three state-owned carriers (China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom) charge international voice termination rates that are higher than most countries. US carriers pass those costs through plus their own margin, which is why direct-dial rates run $1.50 to $3.30 per minute. VoIP providers reduce this to $1.84 to $2.49 per minute by buying wholesale capacity and skipping the carrier markup, but the underlying termination cost still makes China one of the most expensive corridors.

Can I call China for free?

If the person you're calling has WeChat (or another app like WhatsApp, FaceTime, or Signal) installed and reliable internet, app-to-app calls are free. To reach a regular Chinese landline or mobile number, no truly free option exists — someone has to pay the termination fee to the Chinese carrier. Kinvo at $1.84/min is among the cheapest options for reaching real phone numbers in China.

Can I use WeChat to call a regular phone number in China?

No, not anymore. WeChat Out (the feature that let you call regular phone numbers from WeChat) was discontinued in most regions. WeChat today supports only app-to-app voice and video calls — both you and the person you're calling need the app installed.

Does WiFi calling work for calls to China?

Yes, but it does not save money. WiFi calling routes your call over WiFi to your US carrier's network, which then bills you at the same $1.50 to $3.30 per minute as direct-dial. To actually reduce the cost, you need an independent VoIP service like Kinvo that bypasses your carrier entirely.

What is +86 13912345678?

It's a Chinese mobile number. Chinese mobiles are always 11 digits starting with 1 — in this case 139 indicates China Mobile. Dialed from the US, you'd press and hold 0 to get +, then type 8613912345678.

Bottom line: To call China from the US, dial +86 followed by the area code (drop the leading 0) and the local number. Direct-dial from a US carrier is $1.50 to $3.30 per minute; Kinvo's browser-based service is $1.84 landline / $2.49 mobile with no monthly plan. For free options, WeChat works app-to-app if both sides have it installed. See the full rate breakdown on our China calling rates page.