TenPay Global and PayPal World to support PayPal users scanning Weixin Pay QR payment codes in China, starting with U.S. users; new fee waivers and 16-language payment guidance introduced ahead of APEC meetings in Shenzhen
SHENZHEN, China, May 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Tencent today launched the “2026 Inbound Payment Service Upgrade Initiative” at the opening forum of the 20th Shenzhen International Financial Expo, alongside the Shenzhen Municipal Financial Regulatory Bureau, the People’s Bank of China Shenzhen Branch, and PayPal World.
Timed to coincide with the APEC 2026, for which China is the host economy, Tencent will roll out a comprehensive set of upgrades across three pillars—product, international wallet partnerships, and services—to make digital payments more accessible for international visitors across China.
Senior representatives from the Shenzhen Municipal Committee Financial Office, the People’s Bank of China Shenzhen Branch, the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Commerce, the Shenzhen Transportation Bureau and the Authority of Qianhai attended the launch ceremony, alongside Otto Abasi Williams, Senior Vice President of PayPal World and Regional Head and General Manager, PayPal Middle East and Africa, and Hannah Qiu, Senior Vice President at PayPal and CEO of PayPal China, and Daniel Hong, Vice President of Tencent Financial Technology and Celine Zhang, Head of Weixin Pay Business Management.
Daniel Hong, Vice President of Tencent Financial Technology outlined three new measures: a collaboration between TenPay Global, Tencent’s cross-border payment platform, and PayPal World, a global platform connecting the world’s largest payments systems and digital wallets, which enables PayPal users to complete payments at Weixin Pay merchants in China by scanning QR codes, initially open to U.S.-based PayPal users; a 90-day transaction fee waiver of 3% for first-time users who link an international bank card to WeChat, on daily spending up to RMB 1,000; and the rollout of in-app payment guidance in 16 languages across Shenzhen’s ports of entry, airports, business districts and banks ahead of APEC 2026 — bringing global travelers an end-to-end seamless experience.
Expanding the International Wallet Network: PayPal World Enables Users to Scan Weixin Pay QR Codes in China
Tencent has further upgraded Weixin Pay’s “Pay with Your Home E-Wallet” services through China’s unified cross-border QR-code gateway, partnering with over 40 overseas wallet institutions worldwide.
The PayPal QR-code payment service in China — driven by the partnership between TenPay Global and PayPal World — enables PayPal users traveling in China to use their PayPal wallet to scan or be scanned at tens of millions of Weixin Pay merchants nationwide. The service will launch first for U.S. PayPal users, with additional markets to follow in phases.
“China is home to one of the world’s most sophisticated digital payment ecosystems, and for international travelers, the ability to pay seamlessly is integral to the experience of being here,” said Otto Williams, SVP, PayPal World, Regional Head and GM, PayPal Middle East and Africa. “Through PayPal World’s partnership with TenPay Global, we are committed to ensuring that international visitor can enjoy frictionless payments, using a wallet they already know and trust. We are proud of what our teams have built together and we look forward to welcoming our users into this experience soon.”
Tencent pioneered the “Easy Pay with Your Home Wallets” model back in 2018 with WeChat Pay HK, a Hong Kong dollar denominated e-wallet for Hong Kong residents. This approach allows overseas users to pay with their familiar e-wallet at mainland Chinese merchants without downloading a new app. To date, integration with 36 overseas wallets have gone live, with more e-wallets from APEC economies to onboard soon, making it easier for international visitors to travel and pay across China during the APEC year, said Hong.
Hong also said that TenPay Global has partnered with domestic tax refund institutions in China to make departure tax refund services faster and simpler–starting with WeChat Pay HK in Shenzhen. Compared to traditional refund methods such as cash or international credit cards, once this service goes live, users of overseas e-wallets will be able to opt to have their tax refunds credited directly backed to their preferred local overseas e-wallets, with funds arriving within seconds.
90-Day Fee Waiver for International Cards: A Smoother “One-App Journey“ Experience Across China
In parallel with expanding its international wallet partnerships, Tencent continues to refine the experience of using Weixin Pay with a linked international bank card. Weixin Pay data shows from January to April of this year, the number of transactions made by foreign travelers in China using Weixin Pay linked to international bank cards rose by nearly 80% year-on-year.
Hong announced that Weixin Pay has introduced a new round of upgrades for international card users. First-time users who link an international bank card to WeChat will, from the moment of their first transaction, enjoy a waiver on international card processing fees for 90 consecutive calendar days, up to RMB 1,000 per day. “We hope tangible benefits and a friendlier experience will reflect the warmth of a host, and lower the cost for our international friends to pay while in China,” said Hong.
Payment Guidance in 16 Languages in Shenzhen: Setting a New Benchmark for Inbound Payment Hospitality during APEC
In support of Shenzhen’s role as host of APEC 2026, Weixin Pay has expanded its in-app payment guidance to 16 languages — including English, Korean, Thai, Russian, Spanish and Arabic — covering all major APEC economies. International visitors can access native-language QR code payment guidance directly within Weixin Pay, significantly lowering the barrier to cross-border payment.
Tencent has also set up offline service desks at key locations including airports, ports of entry, hotels, and key commercial districts, complemented by 24/7 multilingual online support, creating comprehensive service coverage across all major traveler touchpoints.
“As Shenzhen prepares to welcome delegates and visitors from across the world, Tencent will continue to advance the 2026 Inbound Payment Upgrade Initiative — refining the inbound payment experience so that international visitors can pay with ease from the moment they arrive— contributing our fintech expertise to the success of the APEC 2026,” Hong said.
