Global payment firms roll out services to boost convenience, spur tourism

World-leading payment technology companies are joining forces with China's urban transportation systems to advance payment convenience initiatives, making travel smoother for international visitors while energizing local tourism and consumption.

Visa officially launched its Tap to Ride service on the Guangzhou Metro on Sunday, enhancing payment convenience for inbound travelers. Passengers holding Visa contactless chip cards can simply tap their cards at fare gates bearing the Visa logo to enter or exit metro stations in Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

The service is already available on metro systems in Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu, Sichuan province, and its rollout in Guangzhou further strengthens Visa's transportation payment network across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The move allows visitors from Hong Kong to continue using their Visa cards seamlessly when traveling in Guangzhou.

American Express also announced that Guangzhou has become the fourth Chinese mainland city — after Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu — to support contactless fare payments with eligible American Express cards.

With this latest expansion, American Express contactless payments are now accepted at over 1,800 stations across more than 80 rail lines in these four cities, as well as on over 8,000 buses covering more than 800 routes in Chengdu. The initiative enables card members to enjoy a faster, more convenient way to pay for metro and bus rides, whether commuting or exploring as tourists.

China's inbound tourism has continued to rebound strongly. The country welcomed 131.9 million inbound tourists last year, up 60.8 percent year-on-year. Of these, 26.94 million were foreign visitors, a 95.5 percent surge, while residents from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan accounted for 104.96 million visits, up 53.8 percent.

In the first half of this year, China accelerated institutional opening in immigration management, improving the convenience of government services and border inspection clearance. New measures included granting visa-free entry for up to six days to tour groups from ASEAN countries visiting Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, the inclusion of Indonesia in the list of countries that can benefit from China's 240-hour visa-free transit policy, and broader efforts to enhance payment, accommodation, and transport convenience for foreigners.

According to the National Immigration Administration, 13.64 million foreign nationals entered China visa-free in the first half, accounting for 71.2 percent of total entries and marking a 53.9 percent year-on-year increase. During the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, China recorded 751,000 foreign arrivals, up 19.8 percent from the same period last year.

With the 240-hour visa-free transit policy now extended to 55 countries and further refinements in departure tax refund and other traveler-friendly services, China's inbound tourism saw stronger-than-expected growth in the first half. Visa data show explosive growth in spending by international visitors, with tap-to-pay transactions in Guangzhou up by over 100 percent year-on-year. In Beijing, about 60 percent of international tourists now use Visa's Tap to Ride service for public transportation.