Welcome! The city upgraded to accept overseas bank cards at key venues

Credit: Ding Yining

The city's key venues, transportation hubs and major shopping destinations have been upgraded to accept swift payments with bankcards and digital payment tools on smartphones by overseas visitors.

A total of 53 catering service providers and retailers are able to accept overseas bank cards at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) Shanghai, which is hosting the 6th China International Import Expo starting this weekend.

All over the city, more than 36,000 points of sales machines now accept overseas bankcards. Some 700 machines are available at major transportation hubs including train stations and airports.

More than 8,200 automatic teller machines allow overseas bank holders to withdraw cash renminbi for easier daily payments.

Overseas visitors can also register an e-CNY wallet with a foreign mobile phone number and top up the account balance with overseas bankcards.

Credit: Ding Yining

Alipay earlier this year streamlined the registration and verification processes for overseas users to sign up for the mobile payment service by linking their international credit or debit card from Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Discover,and Diners Club.

Users of multiple leading e-wallets in Asia are able to pay for goods and services on the Chinese mainland using their home e-wallets through Alipay's networks without downloading and setting up a new local e-wallet.

Under the guidance of local authorities including the People's Bank of Shanghai headquarters, the Shanghai Commerce Commission, the Shanghai Transportation Commission and the Shanghai Airport Group, there is a clearer guidance for inbound visitors.

Credit: Ding Yining

Service desks have been set up since the end of September at both Terminal 1 and 2 of the Pudong International Airport to help visitors set up their e-payment or digital wallet service.

Shanghai New World, a landmark shopping mall on Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall, has also made progress in enhancing the convenience and experience of payment for overseas individuals.

With the support of the Shanghai Commerce Commission, Shanghai New World has promoted the optimization and upgrade of the foreign card payment system. This provides a more convenient, stable, and friendly acceptance environment for foreign cardholders.

Forty-two new cashiers specifically for use by overseas individuals have been added, and the POS machines have been upgraded to allow contactless payment with chip credit cards.

Since September, the shopping mall attracted an average of 300 to 400 foreign customers everyday who use overseas bankcards at the cashiers.

In addition, Shanghai New World is also one of the first malls to support digital yuan payments, not only continuing to handle physical foreign card transactions but also adding the acceptance of overseas payments through Alipay.

Cashiers in the public areas of the mall fully support foreign card payments for department store goods.