Chinese not so keen, or unable, to make mobile payments overseas
Study shows 21pc of have never used WeChat Pay or Alipay in a foreign country. 61pc said they didn’t know they could, or mobile payments were not offered by merchants
Chinese consumers are already proving to be addicted to using mobile payment services, dominated by rivals Tencent’s WeChat Pay and Alibaba’s Alipay, for everything from hailing a car to paying for tips.
But they are not as keen on using the omnipotent QR code when travel abroad, it seems.
New research from consulting firm Kapronasia, shows 21 per cent of 1,000 Chinese consumers surveyed said they have never used WeChat Pay or Alipay in a foreign country, with 61 per cent combined citing the reason they didn’t know they could, or mobile payments were not offered by merchants.
More foreign brands have already admitted that Chinese travellers are becoming the major contributors to their sales, but nearly half of those surveyed suggesting three per cent or less of transactions are being made using Chinese mobile payments.
However, of the thousand Chinese consumers surveyed by Kapronasia, 70 per cent said their decision to pay with Alipay or WeChat Pay hinged purely on whether they are offered the opportunity by foreign merchants in the first place.
