Foreigners wowed by Shanghai's payment convenience

english.shanghai.gov.cn| June 07, 2024

Shanghai is making strides in enhancing the travel experience for international visitors. The city's convenient mobile payment services have garnered praise from travelers like Paul Albano, a Filipino tourist and the general manager of the Philippinan e-payment service platform GCash.

"The customs process was swift, and the Alipay+ service desk caught my eye – so helpful on how to go about mobile payments in China," said Albano on a LinkedIn post. 

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A screenshot of Albano's LinkedIn post.

The advantages of having convenient payment and favorable visa policies have not only impressed industry insiders like Albano, but also media professionals such as Serik Korzhumbayev from Kazakhstan. 

During his recent visit to China, Serik was surprised to find that Kaspi, a popular e-wallet app in Kazakhstan, could be used in many places in China. 

The ability to use international electronic wallets in China, such as Kaspi, has simplified cross-border transactions. During his visit, Korzhumbayev said that whevever he saw the Alipay+ logo, it's completely fine to scan with Kaspi and make payments. 

Alipay+ is a cross-border digital payment solution initiated by Ant Group. It allows users to make payments in China by using any payment app that is included in the Alipay+ partnership program.