Tourists from New Zealand try electronic payment in Shanghai. Photo: Xi'an Zhongheng International Travel Agency

UnionPay International, a subsidiary of China UnionPay, announced on Wednesday that UnionPay cards issued overseas now fully support binding with Alipay and WeChat Pay, which will provide foreign visitors to China with more diverse, convenient, and inclusive payment options.

Starting Wednesday, overseas visitors to China can download the Alipay or WeChat App, link their UnionPay cards issued abroad, and experience seamless QR code payments just like Chinese mainland users.

The innovative payment model is part of a series of measures China has implemented this year "to further open up and ease entry for foreigners", enhancing payment convenience for foreign travelers, workers, and residents in China.

According to the company's statement, for a limited promotional period, the cardholders will benefit from zero transaction fees for all payments within China, covering various online and offline scenarios including dining, accommodation, tourism, shopping, medical care, education, and more services.

UnionPay cards are issued globally in 83 countries and regions, totaling over 2.5 billion cards, and can be used across 183 countries and regions for cross-border transactions. 

China is intensifying its efforts to facilitate foreign visitor's entry and stay in China, in a bid to boost higher-level opening-up. This year's China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) also introduced special services for convenient inbound payments, such as WeChat Pay launched a 12-language guide for inbound payment services.

A report by the Tencent Research Institute shows that the rise of "Chinatravel" has driven a notable rise in spending by inbound tourists across various sectors, including national scenic spots and urban public transportation. The daily use of shared bikes by these tourists via WeChat Pay has surged over seven times compared to the same period last year, Tencent told the Global Times in a statement.

In March of this year, the State Council issued opinions on further optimizing payment services and enhancing payment convenience to optimize the business environment and promote high-level opening-up, while rapid implementation has shown early positive outcomes. 

In the third quarter of this year, 8.186 million foreigners entered China through various ports, a 48.8 percent increase year-on-year, the Foreign Ministry told a press conference on October 22, noting that travel bookings from Europe to China have already surpassed 2019 levels.

Lin Jian, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry noted that China will further enhance visa-free access and related policies to increase convenience for foreigners visiting and residing in China.

Global Times