Driven by factors such as the recovery of international air
capacity and visa-free policies, tourism cooperation between China
and Europe has continued to expand this year, leading to a rapid
growth in cross-border payment demand.
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Currently, UnionPay cards can be used at over 80 percent of
merchants' point-of-sale terminals in Europe, with
particularly smooth experiences in popular summer destinations such
as France, the United Kingdom, and Italy.
During the summer vacation, a large number of department stores
and shopping villages in Europe have launched exclusive offers for
UnionPay cardholders. In addition, 20 countries including France
and the United Kingdom have also introduced UnionPay exchange rate
discounts, making payments during the journey both convenient and
cost-effective.
Europe is a popular summer destination for Chinese tourists,
with over 90 percent of countries and regions in the region
offering UnionPay services.
The overall acceptance rate of UnionPay at merchants'
point-of-sale terminals exceeds 80 percent in Europe, with over 6
million terminals supporting UnionPay mobile contactless
payments.
In addition, an increasing number of European merchants have
started to accept UnionPay QR code payments. Tourists can
conveniently choose to pay with their cards, scan QR codes, or use
mobile payment methods based on their own preferences while
traveling in the region.
Building on the wide service coverage, UnionPay International
has also been integrating the characteristics of outbound tourists
to continuously improve the development of payment scenarios in
various areas such as dining, accommodation, transportation,
sightseeing, entertainment, and shopping.
In the transportation sector, which is of particular interest to
independent travelers, more than 90 international airlines, as well
as online travel agencies such as Trip.com, have enabled UnionPay
card payment on their official websites and platforms.
Additionally, tourists can conveniently use UnionPay cards for
local or intercity transportation to visit attractions in countries
such as Spain and Italy, allowing for easy arrangement of
travel itineraries.
Recently, UnionPay International has launched a summer
consumption promotional campaign featuring multiple benefits and
specifically targeting outbound tourists, with a focus in
Europe.
Exclusive discounts have been introduced for UnionPay
cardholders at prestigious department stores such as Harrods in the
UK, Galeries Lafayette, Printemps and Samaritaine in France,
Rinascente in Italy, El Corte Inglés in Spain, as well as nearly 20
shopping villages.
Moreover, tourists visiting 20 European countries including
France and the UK can enjoy favorable UnionPay exchange rates for
offline transactions. Several domestic banks also offer exclusive
cashback or instant discounts for UnionPay cardholders.
Furthermore, tourists can utilize UnionPay cards or the UnionPay
app to conveniently access tax refund services based on UnionPay
network at local merchants.
The payment experience for European tourists visiting China has
been continuously improved. Since the beginning of this year,
UnionPay International has launched the Project Excellence 2024,
collaborating with various parties to enhance the payment
convenience for foreign visitors in China.
Tourists from over 10 European countries, including Spain and
Serbia, can now use UnionPay cards issued locally in Europe to make
purchases or withdraw Chinese yuan cash directly within China.
Short-term visitors to China who do not yet possess UnionPay
payment products can apply for the E-Money Card through the
UnionPay app or offline channels such as bank branches. By topping
up the card with funds from overseas bank cards or cash, they can
enjoy the same card payment and mobile payment services as domestic
users.
In recent years, the UnionPay acceptance network has expanded to
183 countries and regions around the world, covering over 67
million online and offline merchants overseas.
Among them, 81 countries and regions have issued a cumulative
total of 240 million UnionPay cards, and approximately 200 UnionPay
partner digital wallets have been introduced in 36 countries and
regions. These products are all internationally interoperable,
enhancing the cross-border payment experience for cardholders.
In addition, UnionPay International has designed the
SplendorPlus Card with special benefits specifically for foreign
visitors in China. Several mainstream institutions in countries
such as Singapore, South Korea, Mongolia, Thailand, New Zealand,
Saudi Arabia, and Uzbekistan have planned to issue this distinctive
product.
Source: UnionPay International
Contact person: Ms. Zhu, Tel: 86-10-63074558