Scanning QR codes with a mobile payment app has become the most common way to pay in mainland China.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
BEIJING – Foreign visitors to China can now spend up to $2,000 a year using the Alipay mobile app without having to register their ID, the app’s operator said on Friday.
That’s four times more than the previous limit of $500, a move that will affect international tourists the most. The number of foreign travelers to China has fallen after the country temporarily imposed strict border controls during the pandemic.
The increased transaction limit reflects Beijing’s push this year to make it easier for foreign travelers to pay for everyday purchases in a country where mobile payments have become ubiquitous.
However, strict real-name verification policies have often made it difficult for foreign visitors to China to use mobile payment.
Alipay, operated by Alibaba-subsidiary Ant Group, is one of two leading mobile payment apps in China. Tencent-owned WeChat Pay powers the other commonly used app.
Tencent did not confirm an exact figure for no-ID transactions using WeChat Pay, but noted that foreigners could complete some payments without registering their ID.
Ant also announced Friday that international travelers who register their ID with Alipay can use the app for single transactions as large as $5,000, up from $1,000 previously.
The annual transaction limit for those who register their IDs is now $50,000 — five times the previous cumulative amount of $10,000, Ant said.
The changes in transaction amounts follow announcements this month by the People’s Bank of China of such increases.
Ant said the changes apply to foreign visitors in China who download Alipay, or who use 10 specific foreign mobile payment apps.
The app, called Alipay+, lets existing users of certain mobile payment apps from Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Mongolia, Hong Kong and Macau scan Alipay QR codes directly to pay in China.
In early February, People’s Bank of China Vice Governor Zhang Qingsong told CNBC that overseas visitors using Alipay or WeChat Pay do not need to provide ID information if the annual transaction is under $500.
“We are also looking at the possibility of raising the $500 threshold in the future,” he said at the time.
(tagsTo Translate)Breaking News: Technology