Airwallex has launched Octopus as a local payment method for online and offline checkouts in Hong Kong.
The integration allows merchants to accept payments across ecommerce and in-store channels through Airwallex’s unified financial infrastructure.
The rollout coincides with a recovery in Hong Kong’s retail sector, driven by improving visitor arrivals.
According to data from the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the city welcomed approximately 23 million visitors between January and May 2026, marking a 14% increase year-on-year.
Retail sales in the region also saw year-on-year growth of 12.8% in March and 8.6% in April 2026, creating an opening for businesses to expand merchant payment acceptance across online-to-offline (O2O) touchpoints.
As digital touchpoints and contactless transactions become standard, customer expectations for consistent checkout experiences have grown.
Research from Airwallex indicates that 72% of Hong Kong consumers are highly likely to abandon digital shopping carts if their preferred payment option is missing at checkout.
“Octopus is integral to life in Hong Kong, trusted by millions as their preferred way to pay,”
said Edwin Lai, General Manager, Retail Business & Partnerships at Octopus.
“As consumer expectations for flexible payment experiences continue to rise, we are extending Octopus’s reach and delivering smarter solutions through our partnership with Airwallex.”
Streamlining omnichannel checkout
By deploying this consolidated solution, merchants can remove the operational barriers associated with managing separate vendors for online and offline transaction processing. This simplifies payment operations across channels.
The system enables businesses to manage multi-channel payment acceptance through a single platform. This helps reduce operational complexity and shorten customer checkout times.
“In modern retail, a friction-free checkout experience is no longer just a convenience, it is a core driver of customer retention and revenue optimisation,”
said Arnold Chan, APAC General Manager at Airwallex.
“By integrating Hong Kong’s most ubiquitous payment method into Airwallex’s financial infrastructure, we are eliminating the friction that businesses traditionally face when managing separate online and offline payment vendors, helping them to maximise revenue growth.”
Local companies have already begun utilising the unified payment framework.
Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Hong Kong, based on image by Frolopiaton Palm via Magnific
