Chinese tech giant Tencent is streamlining e-payment in China for international visitors by allowing them to use their PayPal app to make QR code payments to local WeChat merchants. 

The announcement was made during the opening of the 20th Shenzhen International Financial Expo yesterday, with Tencent pointing out that US PayPal users would be the first to have access to the service before its gradual expansion to other markets. 

In a statement, the tech firm noted that the integration of PayPal into China’s WeChat payment ecosystem stemmed from a joint effort between Tencent’s cross-border payment platform and PayPal World. 

“China is home to one of the world’s most sophisticated digital payment ecosystems, and for international travellers, the ability to pay seamlessly is integral to the experience of being here,” PayPal World’s senior vice president, Otto William, said. 

He added that the collaboration between the two firms enables overseas visitors in China to “enjoy frictionless payments, using a wallet [PayPal] they already know and trust.” 

Although WeChat is one of the two preferred e-wallet apps in China, with the other being Alipay, it is not widely used by residents in other countries. This means that overseas visitors are required to set up a local wallet if they intend to make e-payments in China. 

[See more: China is making departure tax refunds easier for foreign visitors]

During yesterday’s event, Tencent also unveiled two other measures to facilitate WeChat payments in China. One of these includes an incentive that encourages people to link their foreign bank card to WeChat Pay by offering a 3 percent fee waiver of 90 days for first-time WeChat Pay users. The benefit is capped at 1,000 yuan per day. 

Meanwhile, the company is also pushing out an in-app payment guide that can be viewed across 16 languages. 

Tencent’s measures to make WeChat payment easier for foreign visitors comes as its homebase of Shenzhen prepares to welcome an influx of foreign guests during its hosting of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting on 18 and 19 November. 
According to Tencent’s 2025 fourth quarter financial report, WeChat had a total of 1.41 billion active users as of 31 December 2025, an increase of 2 percent year-on-year.