UnionPay links 25 foreign wallets to Weixin Pay as China QR use surges

Global travellers can use domestic cards on Weixin Pay QR network

UnionPay International now enables 25 overseas mobile wallets from 11 countries and regions to support Weixin Pay (WeChat Pay) QR code payments across mainland China, extending cross-border QR interoperability for foreign cardholders.

Users can link locally issued UnionPay cards or activate digital UnionPay cards within their domestic wallets to pay at merchants and public transport by scanning Weixin Pay or UnionPay QR codes, according to a press release.

Payments are settled in renminbi through automatic conversion.

The service was first launched in December 2024 and has since expanded to add new e-wallets.

UnionPay said the rollout is part of its Project Excellence programme, which connects more than 200 e-wallets across 37 markets outside mainland China to UnionPay infrastructure.

In 2025, QR transactions in mainland China made using overseas UnionPay-partnered wallets rose 100% year-on-year, whilst transaction value increased 75%, according to the company.

UnionPay has also introduced the SplendorPlus Card, designed for inbound travellers, as part of efforts to reduce payment friction for foreign visitors in China’s QR-dominated retail market.