UnionPay mobile payments accepted at 3,000,000 merchant locations outside mainland China

SHANGHAI, June 25, 2019 /CNW/ -- More than half of the Chinese tourists plan to travel overseas this summer, according to the booking data from China's several OTAs (online travel agencies). The number of Chinese outbound tourists may reach a record high this year.

With UnionPay's acceptance footprint expands to 174 countries and regions, "payment at ease" has already been a dream come true for tourists with UnionPay cards. And besides traditional card-swiping, innovative payment methods offered by UnionPay are available at over 3,000,000 merchants across 46 countries and regions outside mainland China.

In addition to payment convenience, UnionPay International (UPI) is now bringing yet another good news to its cardholders this summer: Now, UPI is offering up to 30%-off discounts at tens of thousands of merchant locations across 80 travel destinations. And one-third of these offers are specially designed for customers who pay via UnionPay mobile payments.

100,000 more merchants outside mainland China offer UnionPay's mobile payment services

So far, UnionPay payment service is available at over 27 million merchants outside mainland China, covering both popular destinations as well as emerging destinations for Chinese tourists. UnionPay's overall acceptance coverage in the Asia-Pacific has reached 90%.

It has become increasingly easier to pay with UnionPay cards in emerging travel destinations. For instance, in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, UnionPay's acceptance coverage has reached 90%. In Tanzania and Morocco, UnionPay cards will soon be accepted everywhere. UnionPay is also available on popular islands: about 60% of merchants in Tahiti accept UnionPay cards, and UnionPay has realized 100% acceptance in Seychelles.

The optimization of UnionPay's payment service outside mainland China is not restricted to traditional card-swiping. Chinese tourists who have recently visited Japan found that they could scan UnionPay QR codes to make payments at international airports and renowned department stores. In fact, UnionPay's mobile payment services -- including UnionPay's QR code payment and UnionPay's contactless payment -- are now available in sectors of public transit and retail, etc. About 2.8 million merchant locations accept UnionPay's contactless payment, QuickPass; and merchant locations accepting UnionPay QR code payment has rapidly increased to 300,000.

To welcome Chinese tourists, many renowned merchants have newly started accepting UnionPay QR code payment. These include LAOX, Kintetsu Department Store, Matsuya Ginza in Japan, Aumake in Australia and many more F&B and retail merchants in the UAE and Turkey.

UnionPay helps tourists enjoy more while spending less

Base on the continuously expanding acceptance network of both its cards and mobile payment solutions, UnionPay now upgrades its global marketing campaign in three aspects: First, wider coverage. This year's summer campaign covers 80 destinations across 45 countries and regions outside mainland China; and for the first time merchants in Kazakhstan, Morocco and Seychelles participate in this campaign. Second, more entertainment and culture-related merchants. Much more theme parks, amusement parks, museums, and galleries are participating in the campaign this year. For instance, over 10 museums, including the Museum of Modern Art, are providing special offers for UnionPay cardholders for the first time. Third, more merchants are offering special discounts for customers who pay with UnionPay mobile payments.

In the next two months, customers who pay with UnionPay mobile payments can enjoy special offers at over 10,000 merchant locations outside mainland China. These participating merchants are located in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Russia, Canada, etc. For instance, when taking T-money taxis in Seoul, tourist who pay the fare by scanning UnionPay QR code can enjoy 50%-off discount. Also, customers who pay by scanning UnionPay QR codes at some merchants may receive digital red envelopes in the UnionPay app. More types of merchants are providing offers for UnionPay mobile payment users. These include MYER in Australia, convenience stores in Taiwan, as well as Vodafone in New Zealand.

Summer vacation is also a peak season of China's inbound tourism. So far, about 120 million UnionPay cards have been issued outside mainland China. Inbound tourists with UnionPay cards can enjoy special offers at many feature restaurants in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

SOURCE UnionPay International

Agnes Hou, [email protected], [phone]