Tencent releases payment app for foreign tourists

Technology company Tencent  launched TenPayGo, a payment application for overseas users visiting China.

The new platform is designed to simplify the payment process for inbound visitors to China, as the country sees a surge in international tourism.

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The app supports bank cards issued overseas by seven leading international card organizations, including Visa and Mastercard, as well as Apple Pay and overseas e-wallets such as Starryblu, Tencent said.

According to Tencent, after linking a payment method, users can scan and make payments directly through TenPayGo. The company introduced the app at an international payment service launch event in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong province.

TenPayGo will also allow foreign travelers to activate travel codes for buses and subways in Shenzhen, without the need for a phone number or transit card.

In addition, TenPayGo will further expand its in-app services, committing to integrating payments with various consumption scenarios, such as departure tax refunds and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered menu translation, the Shenzhen-based company added.

Dong Ximiao, chief economist at Merchants Union Consumer Finance Company Limited, stated that TenPayGo allows inbound visitors to travel within China with just a smartphone, which is expected to further enhance their travel experience.

The launch of TenPayGo comes after Tencent announced in May a landmark integration of its vast payment network with PayPal, allowing visitors from the United States (US) to make payments like locals in China via QR codes.

This partnership connects Tencent's cross-border payment platform, TenPay Global, with PayPal World, a global platform that connects the world's largest payment systems and digital wallets.

Tencent's WeChat, which functions as a multi-functional application beyond social media and instant messaging, offers a digital payment service known as Weixin Pay in Mainland China.

Weixin Pay's launch of TenPayGo comes amid a surge in foreign tourist spending. Data from Weixin Pay shows that in the first eight months of this year, the value and number of foreign e-wallet transactions in China increased by 80.6 percent and 81.8 percent year-on-year, respectively.