China's WeChat enables in-flight mobile payment

BEIJING - China's popular social media platform WeChat has made in-flight mobile payment possible by post-landing settlement.

WeChat Pay rolled out a pilot in-flight mobile payment service Wednesday for passengers taking two flights carried by Spring Airlines.

WeChat Pay users with a credit score above 550 can apply for the service, which enables them to make purchases without access to the internet during the flight, and pay automatically via their accounts after landing.

The service will be promoted to other flights to improve the in-flight shopping experience, according to WeChat.

China is the world's largest mobile payment service market, with both tech and financial giants promoting their own tools to facilitate easier payments for daily shopping, dining and commuting.

Data from the country's central bank showed that the number of mobile payment transactions surged by 79.6 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2019 while the total value saw a 22.32-percent rise.