Quick answer — checked August 19, 2026: Do not buy LetsVPN specifically for a mainland China trip. LetsVPN remains active outside mainland China, but its official notices have not restored mainland service. The company said in May that it could no longer provide a stable and reliable VPN service for mainland China users. An occasional successful connection does not change that official status.
LetsVPN announced in April that it was ending business operations for mainland China users. It later resumed standard global operations and billing, which created understandable confusion: global operations resumed, but official mainland China support did not.
For travelers, the takeaway is bigger than one provider. Even a China-focused VPN can stop being a practical travel solution when blocking pressure gets high enough. A China trip therefore needs a primary connection and an independent backup, not one VPN app.
Current status at a glance
| Question | Answer as of August 19, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Does LetsVPN still operate? | Yes, outside mainland China. Standard global operations and billing resumed in May. |
| Did the May announcement restore mainland China service? | No. The same notice said availability in mainland China could not be guaranteed. |
| Should a traveler buy LetsVPN for a China trip now? | No. ChinaVPNs does not treat it as a supported mainland China option. |
| What if I already paid? | Use LetsVPN’s official in-app account-freeze, self-service refund and status-checking tools. Avoid third-party “fast refund” offers. |
| What should a short-term visitor prepare instead? | Use a travel eSIM or international roaming as the primary phone connection, then keep a separately tested Wi-Fi or laptop backup. |
What happened
On April 28, 2026, LetsVPN said it would terminate its mainland China operations after roughly 20 days of continuous technical attempts to restore reliable connections. The official mainland China notice also said mainland payment channels had closed and refund calculations would use April 8 as a starting point.
On May 8, the company resumed standard global operations. That notice did not reverse the mainland decision: it said the connection experience had not fully recovered in every region and that service availability in mainland China still could not be guaranteed.
On May 15, the company’s CEO letter was more direct. It said LetsVPN could no longer continue providing VPN services for mainland China users and recommended that affected users complete the refund process.
We checked LetsVPN’s official announcement list again on August 19. We found no later official notice restoring mainland China service. This does not mean the company has stopped operating elsewhere; it means travelers should separate its global service status from its mainland China support status.
Why this matters for travelers
LetsVPN was not a random bargain VPN. It was one of the services many travelers and expats mentioned when mainstream VPNs became unreliable in China.
That is why this update matters. If a China-optimized VPN can move from “often recommended” to “not available for mainland China” in a short window, then VPN access should not be the only plan for a trip.
For a visitor landing in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, or Xi’an, the risk is not theoretical. A VPN can fail after you have already arrived, and once you are inside China, it can be difficult to download a replacement app, open a provider website, or complete a new payment flow.
If you already paid for LetsVPN
Follow LetsVPN’s official refund instructions rather than third-party screenshots or reposts. Its May 7 refund update described this process:
- Freeze the account so remaining time stops being used.
- Submit the request through the official self-service refund entry in the app.
- Check the in-app status instead of repeatedly creating new requests.
- Keep your account details, plan, payment receipt and support messages.
LetsVPN also warned about people offering “fast refunds,” “internal channels,” priority handling or cryptocurrency refund paths. Do not send money, passwords, verification codes or bank-card details to anyone claiming to accelerate a refund. If you are already in China, avoid relying on the VPN app itself as your only way to reach account and support pages.
What to use instead
For phone-first travelers, a China travel eSIM or an international roaming pass is the more practical primary setup. These options usually route mobile traffic outside mainland China, but you must still check the exact plan, supported apps, hotspot rules and fair-use limits before purchase.
A VPN can still be useful as a backup for:
- laptop work on hotel Wi-Fi
- niche work tools that need a specific location
- devices that cannot use eSIM
- travelers who already understand server switching and fallback protocols
But the order matters. Start with our eSIM, roaming and VPN decision guide and use the China Internet Survival Guide to prepare payment, maps, messaging and offline backups. For most short trips, the practical order is: phone data first, independent backup second.
Our updated recommendation
ChinaVPNs does not treat LetsVPN as a supported mainland China option. The company remains active globally, but it has not restored official mainland service or guaranteed availability there. Intermittent connections are not enough to justify recommending a new purchase for China.
If your phone supports eSIM, set it up before departure. If you also need a VPN for laptop or Wi-Fi use, install and test it before you fly, then treat it as a backup rather than your main connection.
Frequently asked questions
Does LetsVPN still work in China?
Some users may report intermittent connections, but LetsVPN’s official position is that it cannot provide a stable and reliable service for mainland China users. Do not treat a single successful connection as proof that official mainland support has returned.
Did LetsVPN resume service in May 2026?
It resumed standard operations and billing for global users. The same announcement said availability in mainland China could not be guaranteed, and the later CEO letter said the company could no longer continue serving mainland China users.
Can I keep using LetsVPN outside mainland China?
LetsVPN remains an active global service. This article only addresses whether a traveler should rely on it for mainland China. Check the provider’s current terms and your own location before deciding what to do with an existing account.
What is the safest refund route?
Use the account-freeze, self-service refund and status-checking entries inside the official app. Ignore third-party refund agents and never share payment passwords, verification codes or bank-card details.
Official sources checked
- April 28 mainland China service notice
- May 7 refund process and scam warning
- May 8 standard global operations notice
- May 15 CEO letter on mainland China service
Make eSIM Your
Primary China Backup.
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