Tencent is preparing to make China’s digital payments ecosystem more accessible to international travelers with a new app designed to connect WeChat Pay with foreign payment methods.
The tech giant is piloting TenPayGo, an app that allows international travelers to make payments at the millions of merchants that accept Weixin Pay, known as WeChat Pay abroad.
Like WeChat Pay, however, the app offers more than just payments. The company describes TenPayGo as a virtual travel assistant that will include services such as transportation, shopping, and dining. While Tencent hasn’t announced an official launch date, the company has already listed TenPayGo on Apple’s App Store.
Expanding the Footprint
The app’s expanded functionality reflects the evolution of Tencent’s WeChat Pay and Ant Group’s Alipay. Originally launched as mobile payment services, both platforms have grown into super apps that integrate messaging, shopping, and payments into a single ecosystem.
Both companies have also worked to expand their international reach. For example, Tencent recently integrated WeChat Pay with Mastercard move, the cross-border payments platform, enabling users in China to send remittances abroad more easily—addressing a common friction point for many consumers.
A National Priority
Beyond these platform expansion, China has introduced a range of initiatives aimed at making travel more seamless for visitors.
The country recently announced plans to integrate major payment ecosystems, including Alipay and UnionPay, with Indonesia’s QR code payment system. The initiative will allow consumers in both countries to make payments using their domestic apps and local currencies, helping simplify cross-border transactions for travelers.
While boosting tourism is a priority, these efforts align with China’s broader push to expand the international use of the yuan. The country has continued work on commercializing mBridge, a which is designed as an alternative to the U.S. dollar and the SWIFT network.
China has also been a pioneer in developing a central bank digital currency, the digital yuan, which it views as an essential component of its long-term digital economy strategy.