Tencent’s WeChat Pay to accept Visa cards to help foreign tourists survive in cashless China
- Tencent will let foreign users link their Visa cards to their WeChat mobile payments accounts from July, after a similar move by Alipay
- This will allow tourists to use their smartphones to pay tens of millions of Chinese merchants that already accept the domestic version of WeChat Pay
WeChat Pay and Alipay, the two dominant Chinese mobile payments services, had for years limited the use of foreign bank cards due to the government’s rigid financial and data controls.
After the country reopened its borders to overseas visitors earlier this year, difficulties in making everyday payments have become a frequent source of complaints.
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Shenzhen-based Tencent plans to change that by letting foreign users link their credit or debit cards issued by Visa and other major international operators from July, said Royal Chen Qiru, vice-president of Tencent Financial Technology, at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions on Wednesday.
The move will allow travellers to use their smartphones to pay tens of millions of merchants across China, from shops to hotels to transport providers, that already accept the domestic version of WeChat Pay.
“Tencent has been working hard to provide greater access to China’s online and offline merchants for overseas visitors under the guidance of relevant regulatory bodies and policies,” Chen said at the event held in the Chinese port city Tianjin, also known as Summer Davos.
It comes after Alipay, operated by Alibaba Group Holding affiliate Ant, announced this month it would allow foreign users to pay in China with Mastercard credit or debit cards. The platform also supports overseas bank cards issued by Visa, Diners Club International and Discover, according to Alipay.
