Merchants outside China
accept UnionPay mobile payment services to welcome Chinese tourists
for the upcoming Chinese New Year
SHANGHAI, Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- With the Chinese
New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, approaching, many
Chinese are planning to celebrate it by traveling overseas.
According to the Report on Spring Festival Holiday Tourism Trend
(2019) recently released by Ctrip.com, a popular OTA in
China, 7 million Chinese are about
to spend the Spring Festival Holiday overseas this year, marking a
new high. Another Chinese OTA, glz.com.cn, analysed flight ticket
and hotel booking and found that Chinese tourists are traveling to
more destinations, and destinations such as Latin America, the Balkans, Laos and Myanmar are expected to receive more Chinese
tourists than in previous years.
In order to meet the payment needs of Chinese outbound tourists,
UnionPay International continues to improve its acceptance network
outside mainland China. So far,
the UnionPay acceptance footprint has extended to 174 countries and
regions. In the second half of 2018, Serbia, Montenegro and Jamaica started accepting UnionPay cards. On
the eve of the Spring Festival, merchants in the UK, Poland and Georgia began accepting the UnionPay mobile
payment services, offering more payment options to Chinese
tourists.
UnionPay offers extensive and diverse payment services for
Chinese outbound tourists
To date, UnionPay is accepted at more than 26 million merchant
locations outside mainland China,
covering both traditionally popular destinations and emerging
destinations.
In Latin America, a new choice
for many Chinese tourists, UnionPay is accepted in 14 countries and
regions. In Argentina, the local
ATM network RED LINK has enabled all
its ATM terminals to accept UnionPay cards, raising UnionPay's ATM
coverage to over 60%. UnionPay International has also partnered
with Jamaica Commercial Bank to offer UnionPay payment service in
the country, where UnionPay is now accepted at 70% of merchants. In
Cuba, UnionPay is accepted at
almost all ATMs and POS terminals. Almost all ATMs in Panama and about 90% of ATMs in Mexico accept UnionPay cards too.
In answer to the changes in Chinese tourists' payment habits,
more and more merchants are accepting UnionPay mobile payment
services to attract Chinese customers. So far, users of the
UnionPay app can enjoy UnionPay mobile payment services in 46
countries and regions worldwide.
So far, merchants outside mainland China that accept UnionPay QR code payment has
increased to 200,000; the
Philippines, Fiji and
Georgia are among the latest
markets that have started accepting this service. In the United States, UnionPay International
partners with CITCON to introduce UnionPay QR code payment service
to local shopping malls and outlets, enterprise retailers,
commercial areas and travel destinations favored by Chinese
tourists, students and business travelers. In Thailand, UnionPay QR code payment is
available in more areas, including campus, car rental merchants,
and healthcare stores. In Australia, UnionPay QR code payment is
available at all stores of Aumake. In the United Kingdom, Poland, and Kenya, hotels, restaurants, and retailers have
started accepting UnionPay mobile QuickPass, UnionPay's contactless
payment solution.
UnionPay helps Chinese tourists to enjoy more while spending
less
With the Spring Festival travel peak approaching, merchants are
offering special discounts to Chinese tourists: In the next month,
UnionPay cardholders can enjoy up to 30%-off special discounts at
tens of thousands of merchant locations across 30 countries and
regions.
UnionPay cardholders can get substantial benefits in all aspects
of their travels during this Spring Festival. For example, in
Tokyo, UnionPay cardholders will
get a coupon when spending a certain amount with UnionPay cards at
Matsuya department store in Ginza. In Singapore, cardholders can enjoy 15%-off
discount when buying Sentosa Cable
Car round-trip ticket using UnionPay cards.
So far, over 100 million UnionPay cards are issued in 51
countries and regions. During this Spring Festival, many retailers
and F&B merchants in China,
such as Wagas in Shanghai, provide
special discounts for foreign cardholders visiting China too.
Many merchants also offer special discounts for customers who
pay with UnionPay mobile payment. 35 LAOX stores across 7 cities in
Japan offer up to 2,000 yen discount for customers who pay with the
UnionPay app. AWPL stores in New
Zealand or at Woolworths supermarkets in Australia offer instant discounts for
customers who have spent a certain amount with UnionPay mobile
QuickPass.
After shopping at over 300,000 merchant locations across 44
countries and regions, tourists can use UnionPay card to claim tax
refund. In addition to the traditional airport and port tax refund
service, UnionPay International also provides Early Tax Refund
service at downtown in 14 countries such as France, the United
Kingdom and Italy.