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Hainan simplifies cashless payment system for foreigners — media

Foreign tourists are often paying for the purchase of goods or services by using the seller's phone as a payment terminal, China News Service noted

HAIKOU /China/, June 18. /TASS/. South China's Hainan Province is gradually simplifying the payment system for foreign citizens without using paper bills, the China News Service reported.

According to the service, more and more tourists coming to the island from abroad are paying for the purchase of goods or services by swiping a foreign bank card using the seller's cell phone. This doesn't even require downloading local e-apps and doesn't require entering various personal data.

"I used to have to keep plenty of cash on hand to be sure, now payment has become very convenient," says Lim, a Malaysian tourist who likes to travel around Hainan. He said that lately he has been shopping without the slightest apprehension and is not worried that any payment might not go through.

According to Kang Kaimin, deputy general manager of Haikou Baofa Shengyi Hotel, in addition to bank cards, more and more foreigners have recently been using WeChat and Alipay mobile apps. "In the past, overseas guests mainly paid in cash, but this year, more of them are switching to electronic payments," he elaborated.

According to the hotel's deputy head, as payment methods diversify and the payment process becomes easier, Hainan guests are "even more eager to engage in consumption." As a result, those visiting for a short time, just like locals, only need to carry a smartphone linked to a card via a mobile app to provide everything they need, from paying for cabs and hotels to visiting restaurants and places of interest.

The People's Bank of China (Central Bank) estimates that about 98% of ATMs in Hainan allow cash withdrawals when using foreign cards. In addition, foreigners are increasingly using mobile payments in the province: between January and May, more than 50,000 citizens from other countries used this method, making 1.7 times more transactions in five months than in the whole of 2023.

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