Scanning QR codes with a mobile payment app has become the most common payment method in mainland China.
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BEIJING – Foreign visitors to China can now spend up to $2,000 a year using the Alipay mobile app without having to register their ID, the app operator said on Friday.
That’s four times more than the previous limit of $500, a move that will impact international tourists the most. The number of foreign travelers to China had fallen after the country temporarily imposed strict border controls during the pandemic.
The increased transaction limit reflects Beijing’s push this year to make it easier for foreign travelers to pay for their daily purchases in a country where mobile payments have become ubiquitous.
However, strict real name verification policies have often made it difficult for foreign visitors to China to use mobile payments.
Alipay, operated by Ali BabaThe subsidiary Ant Group is one of two major mobile payment apps in China. TencentWeChat Pay runs the other commonly used app.
Tencent did not confirm an exact figure for ID-free transactions using WeChat Pay, but noted that foreigners could make some payments without registering their ID.
Ant also announced on Friday that international travelers who register their ID with Alipay will be able to use the app for single transactions of up to $5,000, up from $1,000.
The annual transaction limit for those who register their IDs is now $50,000 – five times more than the previous total of $10,000, Ant said.
The changes to transaction amounts follow announcements this month by the People’s Bank of China to make such increases.
Ant said the changes apply to foreign visitors to China who download Alipay or use 10 specific mobile payment apps abroad.
The program, called Alipay+, will allow existing users of certain mobile payment apps from Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Mongolia, Hong Kong and Macao to directly scan Alipay QR codes to pay in China.
In early February, People’s Bank of China deputy governor Zhang Qingsong told CNBC that foreign visitors using Alipay or WeChat Pay would not be required to provide ID information if the annual transaction volume is less than $500.
“We are also exploring the possibility of raising the $500 threshold in the future,” he said at the time.
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2024-03-08 10:25:13
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