Trip.com tests stablecoin payments overseas, offering USDT and USDC for prepaid bookings
The travel platform switched on stablecoin checkout in select markets, a cautious offshore pilot as Beijing keeps crypto crackdown in place
Trip.com has started to allow some overseas users to pay for prepaid hotel and flight bookings with the stablecoins USDT and USDC – also known as Tether and USD Coin – in a sign of growing acceptance of the US dollar-pegged tokens.
The Shanghai-based online travel group enabled stablecoin payments on October 9, according to a customer service agent, with the option appearing for users in certain regions when they booked prepaid deals through Trip.com’s international platform.
The move – which comes even as Beijing maintains a hard line on crypto-related activity – was first reported by Chinese blockchain-focused news outlet Foresight News last week.
A Foresight reporter said that he was able to book a hotel and a flight using USDT while in Vietnam. He pointed out that both bookings were cheaper than on Ctrip, Trip.com’s mainland China-facing app.
Trip.com did not offer stablecoin payments to users in mainland China and some other markets, the customer service agent said, adding that the option was displayed based on a user’s IP address. The payment option did not appear in Hong Kong, the Post found.
Trip.com did not respond to a request for comment.