(Yicai Global) July 20 -- In anticipation of the upcoming Asian Games in China, Tencent Holdings will make the merchants network of WeChat Pay, its third-party payments platform, fully accessible to overseas users to make their travel and spending in the country easier.

After overseas users link their bank cards with WeChat Pay, they can use the mobile payment app at most vendors in China, including at restaurants, hotels, malls, supermarkets as well as on transport, Tencent said today. Its card issuing partners include Visa, Discover Global Network, JCB and Mastercard, the Shenzhen-based company added.

China will host a number of major international sporting events this year, including the Chengdu FISU World University Games at the end of this month and the Asian Games in Hangzhou in September. The number of visitors entering the country is expected to increase significantly as a result.

To meet the needs of people travelling to China, WeChat Pay also said it will waive the service charges when international cards are used for purchases of CNY200 (USD27.80) and below.

Chinese regulators pushed payment apps such as WeChat Pay and Alibaba Group Holding’s AliPay to open their services to international bank cards as early as 2019. But the pilot work was slowed due to the three-year Covid-19 pandemic and was put on the agenda again this year after China fully reopened its borders.

Last month, Chen Qiru, Tencent Financial Technology’s vice president, revealed at the Summer Davos Forum that WeChat Pay will gradually make its merchants network available to international credit card holders from this month.

Mastercard also announced a further partnership with Alipay on June 21 so that international visitors can travel in China cash-free.

Editor: Peter Thomas