(26 July 2023 – China) Hugely popular mobile payments platforms Alipay and WeChat Pay have moved to let people link international credit cards.
International visitors can now use Visa, Mastercard, and JCB cards with WeChat Pay for payments of up to 6000 yuan (more than $800).
Meanwhile, Alipay has moved to accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Diners Club and Discover cards. Both platforms are charging a three percent fee for transactions over a certain amount.
While the apps first made moves to open up to international users in 2019, until last week WeChat Pay needed a locally-issued credit card while Alipay only accepted international cards if the user enrolled in a program with a five percent fee.
The popularity of Alipay and WeChat Pay has seen cash usage drop dramatically in China, with many merchants not offering change, according to Nikkei Asia.