China is making it easier for foreigners to use mobile payments

Scanning QR codes using mobile payment apps has become the most common payment method in mainland China.

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BEIJING – Foreign tourists can now use the Alipay mobile app to pay up to $2,000 a year without registering an identity card, the operator of the Alipay app said on Friday.

That’s four times the previous $500 limit, a measure that would have the greatest impact on international visitors. During the epidemic, China temporarily implemented strict border controls, resulting in a decline in the number of foreign tourists visiting China.

The increase in transaction limits reflects Beijing’s efforts this year to make everyday shopping easier for foreign tourists in a country where mobile payments have become ubiquitous.

However, strict real-name authentication policies often make it difficult for foreign tourists to use mobile payments in China.

Alipay, operator Alibaba-Affiliated to Ant Group, it is one of the two major mobile payment applications in China. TencentWeChat Pay operates another commonly used application.

Tencent did not confirm the exact number of identity-free transactions using WeChat Pay, but noted that foreigners can complete some payments without registering an identity.

Ant Financial also announced on Friday that international travelers who register their IDs through Alipay can use the app to conduct single transactions of up to $5,000, up from the previous $1,000.

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Ant Financial said the annual transaction limit for people who register for ID cards is now $50,000, five times the previous cumulative amount of $10,000.

The transaction amount changes as follows The People’s Bank of China issued an announcement this month for such an increase.

Ant Financial said the changes apply to foreign tourists who download Alipay or use 10 specific overseas mobile payment apps.

The program, called “Alipay+,” allows existing users of certain mobile payment apps from Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Mongolia, Hong Kong and Macau to directly scan Alipay QR codes to make payments in China.

In early February, Zhang Qingsong, deputy governor of the People’s Bank of China, told CNBC that foreign tourists who use Alipay or WeChat Pay do not need to provide identity information if their annual transaction volume is less than US$500.

“We are also considering the possibility of raising the $500 threshold in the future,” he said at the time.