BEIJING: In its latest efforts to facilitate ease of payments for overseas travellers, Chinese authorities earlier this week introduced measures to make payments more accessible for foreigners visiting the country's major tourist attractions.
A circular, jointly issued by several government organs including the People's Bank of China (PBOC), stipulates that domestic and overseas bank cards should be accepted in all three-star and above tourist hotels, 5A-level and 4A-level national tourist attractions, national and provincial tourist resorts, as well as national tourism and leisure districts, reported Xinhua.
Major cultural and tourism attractions should retain ticket booths and ticketing staff, and actively set up foreign currency exchange outlets in venues with a large number of foreign tourists, the circular said.
The move represents part of China's push to facilitate payments for foreigners. In early March, the country's State Council released a guideline aimed at continuing to optimise payment services of bank cards, promoting cash use and facilitating mobile payment.
Over the past month, Chinese authorities have taken intensive steps to smooth payments for foreign travellers. Major payment service providers, including Alipay and WeChat Pay, have also enhanced payment operations and introduced foreigner-friendly functions.
What are the payment options available for foreign visitors? How to make digital payments? The following are some policy highlights and payment tips.
Tips for convenient payments
> Overseas visitors to China have several payment options, ranging from mobile payments to bank cards and cash.
> Mobile payment services are available in Alipay, WeChat Pay and UnionPay. In Alipay and WeChat Pay, foreign users can link their international credit cards, including Visa and Mastercard, to these platforms.
> In addition, Alipay has also allowed foreigners to use their familiar home e-wallets by scanning Alipay QR codes.
> Some international e-wallets, including TrueMoney and Changi Pay, can also be accepted by merchants in China. Foreign visitors who have these e-wallets can pay without downloading other apps, according to the PBOC.
> No ID information is required for transactions under a certain amount when foreigners use mobile payments such as Alipay and WeChat Pay, the PBOC said.
> The single transaction limit for overseas visitors using mobile payments on payment platforms has now been raised from US$1,000 to US$5,000. The annual cumulative transaction cap has been increased from US$10,000 to US$50,000.
> More user languages are available on payment apps. For instance, Alipay has expanded its service languages from two, Chinese and English, to a total of 16. The translation services can be applied to various services within the app, such as taxi hailing, hotel booking, purchasing tickets for scenic spots, public transportation, and checking exchange rates.
> Bank cards can be accepted if logos of the payment organisations are displayed at the checkout counter. Unionpay cards can be accepted by all merchants point of sales (POS) terminals.
> China has also been working to expand cash acceptance in transportation, shopping, dining, entertainment, and other businesses, while ensuring sufficient cash reserves for business owners.
Foreign visitors can directly conduct exchange at bank outlets with currency exchange signs, outlets of qualified financial institutions, or self-service kiosks. RMB cash can be withdrawn with bank cards at ATMs with logos of corresponding bank card organisations.
Meanwhile, a payment service centre was initiated at Changshui International Airport in Kunming on Wednesday (April 10), offering immediate assistance to overseas visitors as soon as they step off the plane. Kunming is a highly popular tourist destination in southwest China's Yunnan Province.
"For large purchases, you can use a Visa, MasterCard or UnionPay card; For small purchases, you can pay in cash. If you need to exchange cash, we have an ATM machine here. You can use one of those cards to withdraw RMB directly, or you can exchange RMB at bank outlets and exchange points. In addition, you can download WeChat or Alipay and add your bank card for e-consumption," according to the notice at the centre.
The centre at the arrival lounge was jointly promoted by the People's Bank of China's Yunnan branch and the provincial department of transport, which aims to provide guidance for payment services in China, particularly the ubiquitous mobile phone scan code payment system.
Kunming Changshui International Airport is an important gateway for foreigners travelling to China. Official figures showed that from April 1 to 7, the number of international passenger flights at the airport reached 388, logging an increase of 16.8 per cent over the previous week in terms of average daily flight volume. The number of inbound passengers increased 8.5 per cent over the previous week. - Bernama/Xinhua
