01 / STORY
Answer
Go to the ticket window or customer service desk with the passport (or travel document) used for the booking. Staff can explain same-day change or refund options for your ticket type.
Official guidance for foreign travelers stresses passport booking on 12306 with identity verification first, and keeping the original document used for the ticket for station checks. An itinerary printout is not itself a boarding ticket.
ChinaMate cannot change railway rules for you. Recheck the current 12306 English help and the ticket conditions shown in your booking before assuming a free change.