Payment Facilitation Service Offered to Overseas Travelers

THE Shenzhen branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) and the Luohu Checkpoint Hong Kong People Service Center officially inaugurated a co-established service point at the Luohu Checkpoint on Saturday to provide a payment facilitation service for overseas travelers.

The checkpoint is one of the largest and busiest land checkpoints in China.

Jerry Clavero, a Filipino traveler, spent less than three minutes topping up an e-CNY wallet card at the point Saturday. “The wallet card is well designed. It is not only trendy, but also convenient. I really like it.”

The digital yuan hard wallet serves as an important means to meet the payment needs of short-term overseas visitors. Overseas travelers, including compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, can apply for an e-CNY wallet card with their passport. The cardholders do not need a mobile phone or internet when making payments in daily activities such as dining, shopping, and transportation.

“It [The service point] can give you the information you need if you wish to use WeChat Pay, for example, on your phone. It’s very easy to make the transaction. You don’t actually have to go to the bank,” Richard Lokan, from Australia, said.

The Shenzhen branch of ICBC has dispatched staff proficient in Cantonese and English to assist overseas travelers in binding their bank cards, according to the bank.

The bank also said that it has installed self-service machines for the e-CNY wallet card at checkpoints and the airport. After overseas tourists cross the border, they can complete the application for an e-CNY wallet card and foreign currency cash deposit within a few minutes.

“As a foreigner, our ways of consuming and paying in Shenzhen are becoming more and more convenient,” a Chinese-Canadian engineer identified as Li said at Saturday’s ceremony. “I haven’t carried cash for a long time. I can make quick payments using the digital currency hard wallet card or WeChat.”

Source: Shenzhen Daily