UOB plans to launch China QR payments on its TMRW app by the end of 2026.
Customers will be able to pay at over 100 million acceptance points in China, with no administrative fees.
Its partnerships with NETS, Alipay+, UnionPay International and Weixin Pay will support the service.
The rollout follows changes to the UOB UnionPay Card. It now charges no foreign exchange fees worldwide.
Eligible Alipay and WeChat Pay purchases in China are also free of transaction fees.
According to UOB, renminbi billings on the card in October were more than six times the level of a year earlier. New sign-ups rose nearly twelvefold.
“China is an important and fast-growing travel and spending corridor for our customers,”
said Pratik Bhattacharjee, Head of Group Cards and Payment Products at UOB.
He said the bank aims to bring more of these payments into existing customer relationships, giving users a clearer view of their spending.
In the first half of 2026, card spending by UOB customers in China rose more than 40 per cent from a year earlier.
Regional travel data cited by the bank shows a similar trend. Arrivals from ASEAN countries to the Chinese mainland topped 10 million in the first eight months of 2025, according to China’s National Immigration Administration. This marked a 27.5 per cent rise from a year earlier.
UOB’s overall cross-border payment transactions grew more than 20 per cent in the first half of 2026. The bank said these are on track to reach 50 million by year end.
Separately, UOB is exploring partnerships that could add everyday travel services to the TMRW app.
Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Hong Kong, based on image by godtemplate via Magnific.
