UnionPay International (UPI) has announced that there are 28.5 million merchants outside mainland China accepting UnionPay cards. Among these merchants, four million support UnionPay mobile payment services too, an increase of about one million compared to the same period last year. UnionPay cardholders can scan the UnionPay QR code to pay at HEYTEA in Singapore, tap their mobile phones to take the Moscow Metro in Russia and claim tax refunds via the UnionPay mobile app at the airports in Rome. Users of UnionPay mobile payment services can now enjoy greater payment ease and a wider variety of services while traveling overseas.
UnionPay continues to expand its global acceptance footprint
According to the World Tourism Organization, the number of Chinese outbound tourists in 2019 is expected to grow by 14% year-on-year. In answer to this, UPI continues to expand its global acceptance footprint to offer smooth payment experiences to Chinese tourists. In 2019, UnionPay was accepted for the first time in Ukraine, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Chili, expanding UnionPay's global acceptance network to 177 countries and regions.
Besides expanding its acceptance scope, UPI is also improving the acceptance of its mobile payment services. So far, UnionPay cardholders can make payments by scanning UnionPay QR codes or tapping their mobile phones in 53 countries and regions. This year, the transactions of UnionPay QR codes increased by about 4 times year-on-year, and those of the UnionPay mobile contactless payment, QuickPass, increased by 40%.
UnionPay mobile payment services available in more fields
The logo of the UnionPay mobile app can be found on the facade of the LOFT flagship shop in Japan Ginza, where UnionPay cardholders can easily pay by scanning the UnionPay QR code at the shop counters. UnionPay mobile payments are available mainly in various types of merchants, covering fields of F&B, lodging, transit, sight-seeing, shopping and entertainment. Popular merchants accepting UnionPay mobile payments include popular catering merchants such as the Fish Market in Australia, KFC in Nepal and No Signboard Seafood in Singapore, chain supermarkets such as Mannings in Hong Kong, Lotus Supermarket in Thailand and Foodymart in the US, and a variety of tourist attractions such as Hong Kong Ocean Park and Korean Folk Village.
Recently, UPI has launched year-end offers of up to 30% off for cardholders in 80 major business areas around the world. Popular merchants in a number of business areas, such as The Shilla Duty Free in Singapore, GS25 Convenient Store in South Korea and Eslite bookshop in Taipei, provide special offers to customers who pay with UnionPay mobile payments.
The UnionPay mobile app offers a wider variety of services
UPI is also upgrading the cross-border add-on services of the UnionPay mobile app. With the launch of its Version 7.0, the UnionPay app now offers with a wider variety of services including global card-using tips, U Plan discount codes, real-time tax refund, visa application for 40 countries and regions and cross-border express delivery.
In July 2019, the UnionPay mobile app launched a digital tax refund service covering more than 400 tax refund outlets in 27 countries and regions outside mainland China. Users may have the taxes refunded instantly remitted in RMB to their UnionPay cards after having their tax refund code scanned, without the need to fill in any forms.
