WeChat officially supports PayPal users for scanning and paying in China
China's tech giant Tencent has announced that WeChat now officially supports PayPal users making payments via scanning QR codes in China. This move aims to attract more foreign tourists.
On May 27, Hong Danyi, Vice President of Tencent's Financial Technology division, revealed at the opening of the 20th Shenzhen International Finance Expo that TenPay Global, Tencent’s cross-border payment platform, has achieved interoperability with PayPal World. As a result, PayPal users visiting China can now seamlessly make purchases at millions of WeChat Pay merchants across the country. The initial rollout will be available to users from the United States.
Given the growing popularity of WeChat Pay in China, this development is expected to greatly benefit foreign travelers. Since 2019, WeChat Pay has allowed users to link overseas bank cards. Tencent also stated that it will waive transaction fees for first-time users linking overseas bank cards, encouraging broader adoption of this feature.
Official data shows that tourism contributed over 4% to China’s economy in 2024.
China has been expanding its visa-free policy, which currently covers travelers from dozens of countries including the UK, Spain, and Australia. However, American travelers are still not included in this policy; except for short-term transit visitors passing through a third country, U.S. nationals must still obtain a visa to enter China.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, China implemented strict quarantine measures, causing a sharp decline in foreign tourist numbers—except for visitors from Hong Kong and Taiwan. After the reopening, inbound foreign tourism rebounded strongly, surpassing 35 million visitors last year, exceeding the pre-pandemic record of nearly 32 million in 2019.
Source: DW, Associated Press, etc.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1866443059215367/
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