Singaporean network service provider EVONET Global has launched a mobile wallet interoperability service in collaboration with KDDI and Tenpay Payment Technology.  

The initiative allows WeChat Pay users from China to make transactions at au PAY-affiliated stores in Japan by scanning QR codes, leveraging the merchant-presented mode (MPM). 

The service is designed to facilitate payment processes for the 1.4 billion WeChat users visiting Japan, without imposing additional system requirements on merchants.  

This interoperability aims to capture the inbound spending potential by offering a familiar payment method to Chinese travellers. 

Evonet Global CEO James Zhao said: “This marks the first time that KDDI is opening its au PAY merchant network to non-Japanese users. EVONET provides the technological platform that underpins this global collaboration, serving as a hub to address the complexities of international payment infrastructure.”  

EVONET’s strategy includes expanding its network by forming partnerships with more mobile wallet providers across Asia.  

The company also intends to support the consumer-presented mode (CPM), where merchants scan the QR code displayed by the user’s mobile device, to accommodate a broader range of business environments. 

The aim is to establish an open network that allows wallet operators to connect across borders and plans are also in place to enable Japanese customers to use their domestic mobile wallets for transactions at overseas merchants. 

Headquartered in Singapore, EVONET provides network access services for various mobile code payment wallets globally.  

The company’s role encompasses transaction processing, settlement, and currency conversion to support cross-border QR code payments.