Ant Group and Mastercard extend payments program to Chengdu, Chongqing

Tourist spending using Ant Group’s digital payments rose 13-fold in the two cities.

Ant Group and Mastercard have extended the International Consumer Friendly Zones program to include the cities of Chengdu and Chongqing in China.

With support from local governments, the program will be rolled out to a total of 60 primary shopping areas, tourist attractions, airports, and railways in the two cities, Ant Group said in a press release.

Participating merchants will enhance payment signage visibility to inform customers of the digital payment methods they support.

Chengdu, the capital of the Sichuan Province, witnessed 410,000 entries and exits of foreign nationals in the first 5 months of 2024, according to Ant Group.

Chongqing, meanwhile, reportedly saw a sixfold increase in foreign arrivals at its international airport in just the first 3 months of 2024.

In the first half of 2024, spending by international visitors in Chengdu and Chongqing via digital payments supported by Ant Group and its partners reportedly skyrocketed by over 13-fold compared to the same period in 2023.