Streamlined mobile payments for Canton Fair merchants at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport

2024.04.03

With the 135th Canton Fair scheduled for April 15th, Guangzhou has recently been welcoming merchants and guests from around the world. On March 28th, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport unveiled its "Optimizing Payment Demonstration Zone". On the same day, a bilingual guide for using WeChat Pay was launched, with foreign visitors' payment information desks set up at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.

At the information desks, international merchants will receive a series of instructions for opening WeChat Pay accounts, linking foreign cards, making payments, etc. They can also learn about using WeChat for "one-stop" services, including hailing taxis, taking the subway, ordering food by scanning QR codes, exploring tourist attractions, shopping, and more, all of which enhance the experience of Cantonese charm. During the Canton Fair, guidebooks of WeChat Pay will be provided at the Canton Fair Complex, subway stations, buses, taxis, hotels, and major commercial areas.

WeChat continues to enhance its payment services for foreign users, allowing them to bind foreign cards with foreign phone numbers and offering multiple payment methods such as QR codes, WeChat Mini Programs, and In-App.

Data released by WeChat shows that in March this year, the daily average transaction volume for WeChat Pay's foreign card business increased by over three times compared to the period before last year's service upgrade, with the daily average number of transactions growing by over four times. Moreover, there is a growing preference among foreign users to use mobile payments to fulfill various consumption needs during their travels in China. Besides, the daily average number of users conducting transactions with foreign cards has also multiplied three times.