UnionPay International (UPI) announced today that there are 28.5 million 
merchants outside mainland China accepting UnionPay cards. Among these 
merchants, four million support UnionPay mobile payment services too, an 
increase of about one million compared to the same period last year. UnionPay 
cardholders can scan the UnionPay QR code to pay at HEYTEA in Singapore, tap 
their mobile phones to take the Moscow Metro in Russia and claim tax refunds 
via the UnionPay mobile app at the airports in Rome. Users of UnionPay mobile 
payment services can now enjoy greater payment ease and a wider variety of 
services while traveling overseas.

UnionPay continues to expand its global acceptance footprint

According to the World Tourism Organization, the number of Chinese outbound 
tourists in 2019 is expected to grow by 14% year-on-year. In answer to this, 
UPI continues to expand its global acceptance footprint to offer smooth payment 
experiences to Chinese tourists. In 2019, UnionPay was accepted for the first 
time in Ukraine, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Chili, expanding 
UnionPay's global acceptance network to 177 countries and regions.

Besides expanding its acceptance scope, UPI is also improving the acceptance of 
its mobile payment services. So far, UnionPay cardholders can make payments by 
scanning UnionPay QR codes or tapping their mobile phones in 53 countries and 
regions. This year, the transactions of UnionPay QR codes increased by about 4 
times year-on-year, and those of the UnionPay mobile contactless payment, 
QuickPass, increased by 40%.

UnionPay mobile payment services available in more fields

The logo of the UnionPay mobile app can be found on the facade of the LOFT 
flagship shop in Japan Ginza, where UnionPay cardholders can easily pay by 
scanning the UnionPay QR code at the shop counters. UnionPay mobile payments 
are available mainly in various types of merchants, covering fields of F&B, 
lodging, transit, sight-seeing, shopping and entertainment. Popular merchants 
accepting UnionPay mobile payments include popular catering merchants such as 
the Fish Market in Australia, KFC in Nepal and No Signboard Seafood in 
Singapore, chain supermarkets such as Mannings in Hong Kong, Lotus Supermarket 
in Thailand and Foodymart in the US, and a variety of tourist attractions such 
as Hong Kong Ocean Park and Korean Folk Village. 

Recently, UPI has launched year-end offers of up to 30% off for cardholders in 
80 major business areas around the world. Popular merchants in a number of 
business areas, such as The Shilla Duty Free in Singapore, GS25 Convenient 
Store in South Korea and Eslite bookshop in Taipei, provide special offers to 
customers who pay with UnionPay mobile payments.

The UnionPay mobile app offers a wider variety of services

UPI is also upgrading the cross-border add-on services of the UnionPay mobile 
app. With the launch of its Version 7.0, the UnionPay app now offers with a 
wider variety of services including global card-using tips, U Plan discount 
codes, real-time tax refund, visa application for 40 countries and regions and 
cross-border express delivery.

In July 2019, the UnionPay mobile app launched a digital tax refund service 
covering more than 400 tax refund outlets in 27 countries and regions outside 
mainland China. Users may have the taxes refunded instantly remitted in RMB to 
their UnionPay cards after having their tax refund code scanned, without the 
need to fill in any forms.

SOURCE: UnionPay International