Scanning QR codes with a mobile payment app has become the most popular way to pay in mainland China.
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BEIJING — Foreign visitors to China can now spend up to $2,000 a year using the Alipay mobile app without having to register their identities, the company operating the app said Friday.
This is four times more than the previous limit of $500, a move that will affect international tourists the most. The number of foreign travelers to China fell after the country temporarily imposed strict border controls during the pandemic.
The transaction cap reflects Beijing's push this year to make it easier for foreign travelers to pay for everyday purchases in a country where mobile payments have become ubiquitous.
However, strict real name verification policies have often made it difficult for foreign visitors to China to use mobile payments.
Alipay, operated by Ali BabaAnt Group's subsidiary Ant Group is one of two major mobile payment apps in China. TencentOwned WeChat Pay powers the other commonly used app.
Tencent has not confirmed an exact number of identity-free transactions using WeChat Pay, but noted that foreigners can complete some payments without registering their identities.
Ant also announced on Friday that international travelers who register their identity with Alipay can use the app for single transactions of up to $5,000, compared to $1,000 previously.
The maximum annual transaction for those who register their identities is now $50,000, five times the previous cumulative amount of $10,000, Ant said.
The changes in transaction amounts follow announcements made this month by the People's Bank of China regarding such increases.
Ant said the changes apply to foreign visitors to China who download Alipay, or who use 10 specific mobile payment apps abroad.
The program, called Alipay+, allows existing users of some mobile payment apps from Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Mongolia, Hong Kong and Macau to directly scan Alipay QR codes to pay in China.
In early February, Deputy Governor of the People's Bank of China, Zhang Qingsong, told CNBC that foreign visitors who use Alipay or WeChat Pay do not need to provide identification information if the annual transaction volume is less than $500.
“We are also looking at the possibility of raising the $500 threshold in the future,” he said at the time.
