135th Canton Fair provides hassle-free payment services for global visitors

In a significant move to facilitate seamless payment experiences for international attendees, the 135th China Import and Export Fair ("Canton Fair" or "the Fair") has partnered with multiple financial institutions to upgrade its payment systems. This initiative ensures a more inclusive and comprehensive payment environment, accommodating mobile payments, bank cards, and digital yuan among other methods.

The Canton Fair has enhanced its payment facilities to better serve the global merchant community, introducing Self-Service Exchange Machines ("the Exchange Machines") and POS terminals that support international bank cards to simplify the buying experience. Moreover, attendees can now access digital yuan wallets through straightforward procedures at the Exchange Machines, facilitating seamless transactions.

Prominent locations, including Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and the fairgrounds, now feature "Foreign Visitors Payment International Desk" to simplify transactions for international visitors. These desks assist guests in downloading, registering, and using major Chinese mobile payment platforms like UnionPay QuickPass, Alipay, and WeChat Pay. Additionally, they help with linking international bank cards, such as Visa and Discover Global Network, to enable QR code payments.

In the course of the offline exhibition, the Canton Fair's upgrade in payment convenience was fully experienced by the attendees. Musta, a long-time Jordanian buyer at the Fair, chose to exchange currency at the Exchange Machine. He shared, "inserting my ID and then euros, the machine dispensed cash quickly. It was really straightforward and easy."

Triggered by this edition, significant strides have been made to facilitate easier payment methods for international visitors in Guangzhou, not just at the exhibition sites but also in shopping and tourist areas. Before the commencement of the Fair, the city boasted a coverage of more than 90% for international bank card acceptance in key areas, and ATM support for international bank card withdrawals was at a high of 98%. Additionally, a vast network of over 457,000 local merchants had been set up to accept direct electronic wallet payments or to allow the binding of international bank cards with domestic e-wallets, making transactions more convenient.