Refer China: WeChat Raises Red Packet Cap to 520 Yuan for Valentine's Day

On Feb 14, WeChat temporarily raises the personal red packet single-transaction limit from 200 to 520 yuan, matching the "I love you" homophone. This special cap applies only on Valentine's Day and resets afterward.

WeChat Temporarily Raises Personal Red-Packet Limit for Valentine's Day

On February 14 (Valentine's Day), WeChat once again follows its familiar tradition: it temporarily raises the per-transaction limit for personal "red packets" (hongbao) to match the day's romantic symbolism.

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The adjustment has already taken effect. For the full day of February 14, 2026, the maximum amount a user can send in a single personal red packet is increased from the usual 200 yuan to 520 yuan, valid only on that date.

The number 520 is widely used online as a shorthand for "I love you" in Chinese because its pronunciation ("wǔ èr líng") sounds similar to "wǒ ài nǐ" (我爱你). Over time, 520 has become a popular love-themed code in digital culture—so setting the limit to 520 yuan is a symbolic, Valentine's-style gesture rather than a random increase.

This special cap applies within a clearly defined window: 00:00 to 23:59 on February 14. After the day ends, the rule automatically resets, and the personal red-packet cap returns to 200 yuan on February 15.

Notably, the change is highly targeted. Group red packets are not affected; their maximum remains 200 yuan per packet.

WeChat reportedly offers these temporary increases only on three occasions: February 14 (Valentine's Day), Qixi Festival (often called "Chinese Valentine's Day"), and May 20 (5/20)—another date associated with love-themed wordplay.

Source: 微信派