UnionPay has launched a plan to make paying easier for international visitors to Shenzhen’s Qianhai district during the 2026 APEC “China Year”.

The plan sets out cross-border payment options for inbound travellers ahead of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in November.

Visitors with international UnionPay cards can pay by card or through mobile wallets such as Apple Pay.

They can also link the same cards to Alipay, WeChat Pay or the Nihao China App for QR payments.

UnionPay says over 200 overseas partner wallets from more than 37 countries and regions can read its QR codes in China’s mainland.

Visitors can also top up the Tour Wallet in the Nihao China App with Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Diners Club cards.

For visitors who do not speak Chinese, the company and its partners have introduced an AI-powered large-screen POS terminal and the P18 terminal.

Both support voice interaction and real-time translation in 14 languages.

The terminals also accept international cards and give guidance on departure tax refunds.

UnionPay plans to launch smart glasses linked to the Nihao China App soon, though it has not given a launch date.

In Qianhai, the company says it has improved payment acceptance at sites such as Uniway, Chow Tai Fook, K11 and Sea World.

Thirty-eight merchants have upgraded their systems to take international cards and wallets.

Uniway now has a payment service zone with multilingual terminals, card acceptance, tax refund support and payment guidance.

UnionPay offers training on the Nihao China App and on international cards and wallets.

For Hong Kong users, the plan builds on earlier UnionPay tie-ups, such as a virtual card with HSBC’s PayMe in 2024 and a Samsung Wallet service in January.

Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Hong Kong, based on image by solargalaxy via Magnific.