Industrial enterprises, fintechs, commercial banks, start-ups and other businesses relocating to China’s newly opened digital yuan industrial park in the city of Shenzhen will receive incentives including settlement payments of between 500,000 and 50m yuan (US$6.8m), free rent for up to three years and loans with favourable interest rates... More
China could be ready to officially launch the digital yuan as a fully operational central bank digital currency (CBDC) after the Beijing Winter Olympics in early 2022, according to reports in the Chinese media... More
Customers of all six state-owned Chinese banks can now apply for test versions of the banks’ digital yuan wallets as the country rolls out the next phase of its central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot programme in the city of Changsha... More
The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) will keep a database of all transactions made using the digital yuan, China’s central bank digital currency (CBDC), according to China Daily... More
China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines are introducing NFC-enabled electronic baggage tags that let passengers check in their own luggage and then track its location on their mobile phones, China Daily reports... More
Central bank unveils plan on digital currency — China Daily — “The People’s Bank of China, the central bank, is organising market-oriented institutions to jointly research and develop a central bank digital currency and the programme has been approved by the State Council, the country’s Cabinet, Wang Xin, director of the PBOC Research Bureau, said at a seminar at Peking University.”
Beijing subways to get bio-ID system — China Daily — “Two bio-recognition technologies — facial recognition and palm touch — are being considered, said Zhang Huabing, head of enterprise development for Beijing Subway… Facial recognition technology can track passenger movements with cameras connected to online networks that recognize people when they enter a station, potentially allowing them to bypass traditional ticketing.”
Spending climbs by 39% on this year’s Singles Day — China Daily — “Bargain hunters splurged by spending a record 168.2bn yuan (US$25.3bn) during this year’s Singles Day… Nine out of 10 people used mobile wallet apps for payment, said Alibaba, with its Alipay app having handled 1.48bn transactions in 24 hours and processed them at a peak rate of 256,000 transactions per second.”
Public transport alliances set to boost UnionPay — China Daily — “In the first 19 cities where UnionPay pilot mobile payment applications will be used in public transportation, UnionPay provides users with comprehensive solutions including mobile phone QuickPass, bankcard QuickPass and QR code payment… According to Ge Huayong, president of UnionPay, more than 40 banks now accept UnionPay’s QR code payment transactions and an additional 60 or so banks are testing their systems.”
Ant Financial plans Alipay feature to connect merchants and customers — China Daily — “The ‘Life Account’, embedded in the Alipay app, allows its 520 million users to search nearby merchants, receive discount coupons, make appointments and conduct payments… It also helps business and social entities tap into their key clients by identifying their location and consumption preferences.”
Apple accepts WeChat Pay in bid to reverse sales decline — China Daily — “Apple said it is ‘excited’ to introduce Chinese customers using WeChat Pay to purchase apps or subscribe to Apple Music, and will continue to offer payment options that are simple and convenient…. It previously supported credit card transactions, its indigenous Apple Pay, China’s UnionPay, and Alipay, WeChat Pay’s biggest rival.”
Ant Financial extends online credit service to retailers — China Daily — “Ant Financial Services Group, the online finance firm backed by billionaire Jack Ma, will extend its online consumer credit service to four million retail businesses across the country to boost sales and encourage spending－as China’s consumers increasingly feel more comfortable shopping with borrowed money.”
Chinese mobile payments up in Q1 — China Daily — “Chinese commercial banks dealt with 9.3 billion payments from mobile banking services in Q1, up 65.7% from a year ago, the People’s Bank of China, the central bank, said in a report… Combined value of mobile payments rose 16.4% to 60.65 trillion yuan ($9 trillion).”
China is outpacing the US and Europe in the development of mobile payment technology, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook... More
The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) is to ban third-party payment providers, such as Alibaba-owned Alipay, from using their clients’ money, China Daily reports... More
Chinese handset maker Xiaomi will launch its Mi Pay NFC-based mobile payment service on 1 September, in collaboration with bankcard association China UnionPay... More
Chinese internet giant Alibaba is developing virtual reality-enabled mobile payment technology, according to China Daily... More
China’s Baidu has launched its Baidu Wallet mobile payment service in Thailand, enabling Chinese tourists to pay for goods and services there with their mobile phone... More
Alipay has extended its fingerprint log-in capability for the Alipay Wallet to iPhone users, China Daily reports... More
Mobile payments are set for rapid growth in China, according to new research... More