SHANGHAI, July 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 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
