Tencent’s cross-border payments platform TenPay Global has signed a partnership with ShopeePay to expand QR code payment acceptance for users in Southeast Asia.
According to a Xinhua report, the agreement will enable ShopeePay users to make payments by scanning WeChat Pay QR codes.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Access deeper industry intelligence
Experience unmatched clarity with a single platform that combines unique data, AI, and human expertise.
The QR payment integration is set to launch first for ShopeePay customers in Singapore and Thailand.
Tencent plans to extend the service to Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines at a later date.
ShopeePay manager Supphavit Hongamornsin was quoted by the publication as saying the initiative aims to offer customers a “seamless purchasing experience” beyond their homes, as travel and trade increase between China and Southeast Asian markets.
The partnership adds ShopeePay to TenPay Global’s network of nearly 50 international e-wallet partners. Existing participants cited in the report include PayPal, Hana Pay, Travel Wallet, MoMo and ZaloPay.
Tencent has also introduced additional measures aimed at supporting overseas users of WeChat Pay. The company has expanded in-app payment guidance to 16 languages and set up offline service desks at airports, border entry points, hotels and key commercial districts across China.
The steps are intended to reduce friction for visitors making payments in the country.
The payments expansion comes alongside growth in inbound travel to China. Data from the National Immigration Administration shows 22.91 million foreign nationals entered China in the first half of this year, up 20.4% year on year.
TenPay Global has also been extending its cross-border digital wallet coverage beyond Southeast Asia.
Earlier this year, it signed an agreement with Eldik Bank in the Kyrgyz Republic to enable travellers and business visitors pay in China using their local digital wallets.
