Mastercard & WeChat Pay enable payments for overseas visitors in China

By Gloria Mathias

Mastercard card and WeChat (Weixin in Mandarin Chinese) Pay have jointly collaborated to offer seamless payments to international travellers in China by linking the Card to WeChat.

With the resumption of travel, international business, and major sports events in China, Mastercard announced today that its cardholders could link their cards to WeChat Pay, or as it’s locally called, Weixin Pay, a mobile payment service within the Weixin app, as a new payments option that further improves the digital payment experience of international travellers when visiting the country.

Expanding on a partnership established in 2019 to offer enhanced digital payment solutions to consumers and merchants, the latest development gives Mastercard access to Weixin Pay’s merchant network in China. It provides another safe and convenient way for international travellers to pay like locals when travelling around the Chinese Mainland.

The travellers will have access to millions of local merchants, and SMEs are set to benefit from a bigger pool of international buyers. People entering the Chinese Mainland can use their passports, Mainland Travel Permits and Mainland Residence Permits for Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Taiwan residents, or Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card to set up their Weixin Pay, link a Mastercard credit card or debit card, and start enjoying mobile payments.

The extended merchant network includes dining, transportation, shopping, accommodation, and more categories. International travellers with Mastercard cards can now utilize multiple payment methods through the Weixin app, such as scanning QR codes, presenting payment codes, Mini Programs, and in-app payments, enriching their payment experience online and offline.

For merchants, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the Weixin Pay-Mastercard tie-up gives them more opportunities to transact with international travellers who now have access to one of the most widely accepted payment methods in China, allowing them to get around easily without hassle.

China’s improvement in inbound cross-border travel reached approximately 50% of the levels seen in 2019. As China anticipates major international sporting events, such as the Asian Games, the country embraces the prospect of welcoming more international travellers.