Tencent has launched an inbound payment upgrade programme aimed at simplifying digital payments for international visitors in China.
The company announced the plan at the opening forum of the 20th Shenzhen International Financial Expo. The event included the Shenzhen Municipal Financial Regulatory Bureau, the People’s Bank of China Shenzhen Branch, and PayPal World.
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Tencent said the goal is to make “digital payments more accessible” for overseas travellers, as Shenzhen is expected to host APEC meetings this year.
Tencent’s programme, called the “2026 Inbound Payment Service Upgrade Initiative”, focuses on three areas, including new wallet partnerships, tax refund processing, and changes to international bank card support in Weixin Pay (WeChat Pay).
The central element of the initiative is a new collaboration between TenPay Global, Tencent’s cross-border payments platform, and PayPal World.
Under the partnership, PayPal users will be able to pay at Weixin Pay merchants in China using QR codes. Tencent said the feature will launch first for PayPal users in the US, with other markets planned in later phases.
PayPal World SVP and PayPal Middle East and Africa GM Otto Williams said: “China is home to one of the world’s most sophisticated digital payment ecosystems, and for international travelers, the ability to pay seamlessly is integral to the experience of being here.
“Through PayPal World’s partnership with TenPay Global, we are committed to ensuring that international visitor can enjoy frictionless payments, using a wallet they already know and trust. We are proud of what our teams have built together and we look forward to welcoming our users into this experience soon.”
Additionally, Weixin Pay’s “Pay with Your Home E-Wallet” capability has been upgraded through China’s unified cross-border QR-code gateway.
Tencent said the upgrade now includes partnerships with more than 40 overseas wallet institutions.
The Chinese conglomerate is also working on tax refund processing for departing travellers.
Daniel Hong, vice president of Tencent Financial Technology, said TenPay Global has partnered with domestic tax refund institutions to streamline departure tax refund services, starting with WeChat Pay HK in Shenzhen.
The planned service would allow eligible overseas e-wallet users to receive refunds directly to their selected local e-wallets.
Alongside wallet partnerships, Tencent is also updating the experience for international bank cards in Weixin Pay.
Under the expanded service, first-time users who link an international bank card to WeChat will receive a 90-day waiver on international card processing fees. The waiver applies from the first transaction and covers spending of up to RMB 1,000 ($147.5) per day, with a stated 3% transaction fee waiver for the period.
Hong said: “We hope tangible benefits and a friendlier experience will reflect the warmth of a host, and lower the cost for our international friends to pay while in China.”
Additionally, as part of its service upgrades, Weixin Pay will provide in-app QR payment guidance in 16 languages.
The language support will be available across Shenzhen’s ports of entry, airports, business districts and banks ahead of APEC 2026.
The company said the languages include English, Korean, Thai, Russian, Spanish and Arabic.
