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Tencent launches TenPayGo payment app for those travelling to China. Allows for linking overseas bank cards and select digital wallets, while also offering Shenzhen transit access and translation tools. Tencent has launched TenPayGo, a mobile payment app designed specifically for international visitors travelling to China. Developed by the company's WeChat Pay team, the platform aims to simplify payments for overseas travellers by allowing them to use their existing payment methods without requiring a local Chinese phone number. The launch comes as China sees growing inbound tourism, with Tencent also preparing for increased international visitors ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen. The company unveiled the app at an international payment services event in Shenzhen, Guangdong. TenPayGo is Tencent's first mobile payment app specifically developed for international visitors to China. The company already provides digital payment services in mainland China through Weixin Pay (or WeChat Pay internationally), which is integrated into its WeChat ecosystem. Local phone number not required. TenPayGo is available now through the Apple App Store and Google Play, and was previously available in limited test versions before its official launch. As mentioned earlier, rather than a Chinese mobile number, the new app allows users to register with an email address and link bank cards issued overseas from seven major international card networks, including Visa and Mastercard. It also supports around 60 overseas digital wallets, including Hipay, Starryblu, Octopus and several more. However, despite featuring Singapore and Thailand versions, it does not include the ShopeePay Malaysia nor other local e-wallets such as TNG eWallet, Boost and so on. Once a payment method is linked, travellers can scan and pay through the app at tens of millions of shops, restaurants and attractions that accept payments through Tencent's WeChat Pay network. This provides an alternative to setting up a local payment account, which can otherwise involve additional requirements for foreign visitors. Transport and translation tools. Apart from payments, TenPayGo also integrates access to public transport networks, though this is currently limited to those in Shenzhen. Visitors can activate a ride code for the city's buses and metro services directly within the app, without needing a local phone number or a physical transport card. The app also includes several tools aimed at helping overseas visitors navigate China. These include instant menu translation for ordering food, as well as an object-identification feature that allows users to scan and circle items on their screen. Tencent is also working with local banks to introduce a tax-refund feature to TenPayGo, although the company has not provided details on when this will become available. (Source: SCMP) Updated 5:06 pm, Fri, 25 September 26

Update: Tech giant Tencent launches payment app for inbound visitors as "China Travel" surges. Xinhua 25 Sep 2026, 08:48 GMT+ SHENZHEN, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) - China's tech giant Tencent on Thursday launched TenPayGo, a payment app for overseas users traveling to China. This new platform is designed to make payments more convenient for inbound visitors as the country sees a growing number of international travelers. The app supports bank cards issued overseas by seven major international card organizations including Visa and Mastercard, as well as Apple Pay and overseas e-wallets such as Starryblu, Tencent said. After linking a payment method, users can scan and pay directly through TenPayGo, according to Tencent. The company unveiled the app at an international payment services launch event in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. TenPayGo will also enable overseas visitors to activate a ride code for Shenzhen's buses and metro, with no phone number or transit card required. In addition, TenPayGo will further expand its in-app services, pledging to connect payment with consumption scenarios, such as departure tax refunds and AI-powered translation of menus, the Shenzhen-based company added. Dong Ximiao, chief economist at Merchants Union Consumer Finance Company Limited, noted that TenPayGo allows inbound visitors to travel across China with a single smartphone, which is set to further improve their travel experience. The launch of TenPayGo came after Tencent announced in May a landmark integration of its extensive payment network with PayPal, enabling U.S. visitors to pay like locals in China via QR codes. The partnership connects Tencent's cross-border payments platform TenPay Global with PayPal World, a global platform connecting the world's largest payment systems and digital wallets. Tencent's WeChat, which serves as a multifunctional app beyond social media and messaging, offers digital payment services known as Weixin Pay in the Chinese mainland. The launch of TenPayGo by Weixin Pay comes amid a surge in foreign visitor spending. Data from Weixin Pay showed that in the first eight months of this year, the value and number of overseas e-wallet transactions in China increased by 80.6 percent and 81.8 percent year on year, respectively. The payment growth came as "China Travel" surged, driven by the country's measures to facilitate inbound tourism, including the expansion of visa-free policies and improved departure tax refunds. Official data showed that foreign nationals made nearly 61.29 million border crossings in the January-August period, up 19.5 percent from a year earlier. Visa-free entries accounted for 23.72 million of the total, up 26.8 percent from a year earlier. To better cater to the increasing payment demand, Tencent said it will carry out cooperation with domestic online payment-clearing house NetsUnion and work to connect more overseas e-wallets with its payment network, in a bid to enable more overseas users to scan to pay when traveling in China.