Ant Group, in response to new policies by the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) aimed at facilitating international visits, has announced an increase in transaction limits for international travelers using its cross-border payment services.

Effective immediately, the single transaction limit for such travelers will be raised from US$ 1,000 to US$ 5,000, with the annual cumulative transaction limit increasing from US$ 10,000 to US$ 50,000.

These adjustments apply to Ant Group‘s two cross-border mobile payment solutions: Alipay and Alipay+. International travelers have the option to download the Alipay app and link their international cards or utilise their home wallets through Alipay+ for seamless payments in China.

As of February 2024, users of 10 e-wallets can make payments at over 80 million merchants across China. These wallets include AlipayHK, MPay, Hipay, Changi Pay, OCBC Digital, Touch ’n Go eWallet, Kakao Pay, Naver Pay, Toss Pay, and TrueMoney.

The move follows the release of a guideline by China’s State Council on 7th March 2024, aiming to optimise payment services and enhance convenience for international travelers. PBOC’s recent announcement to guide payment platforms in raising transaction limits further supports this initiative.

Alipay has also introduced a multi-language translation function for international visitors, anticipating an increase in travel to China in 2024 due to new visa-free policies and efforts to expand international flight routes.

During the Chinese New Year in 2024, data from Alipay revealed a significant surge in spending via international card-enabled accounts, indicating a growing preference for cashless transactions among international visitors.

Alan Ni, Chief Executive Officer of TNG Digital, the operator of Malaysia’s Touch ‘n Go eWallet said,

“Capturing more than 50% of the market share in Malaysia, TNG Digital is proud to be one of the first overseas e-wallets accepted in the Chinese mainland.

 

The recent policy change by the People’s Bank of China, raising transaction limits for foreign nationals utilising mobile payment services, marks a monumental leap forward in global payment convenience.”

John Sun, CEO of Macao’s MPay said,

“This policy will undoubtedly be beneficial in promoting the economic development and integration process of the Greater Bay Area. It will further upgrade the payment experience and satisfaction of international tourists visiting Macao and the Bay Area.

 

MPay continues to commit to helping merchants better serve international tourists visiting Macao through innovative one-stop acquiring technology services, addressing the pain points of cross-border payments for international tourists, and creating an interconnected international payment digital ecosystem for the Macao market.”