UnionPay International (UPI) has significantly expanded its presence in Europe, now supporting UnionPay cards in 90% of European countries and regions, including all Schengen countries. With an 80% POS acceptance rate across Europe, UnionPay is enhancing convenience for its cardholders traveling to popular destinations such as France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, and Hungary this summer. Travelers are encouraged to bind their UnionPay cards to mobile phones for quick and efficient payments.
UPI has enabled more than 6 million European merchant POS systems to support UnionPay QuickPass. This allows tourists to add UnionPay cards to mobile wallets like Huawei Pay and Apple Pay, facilitating easy tap-and-pay transactions. Additionally, many renowned department stores and shopping villages in Europe now accept UnionPay QR codes, catering to Asia-Pacific tourists accustomed to QR code payments.
In cultural hotspots like Italy, Greece, and Spain, UnionPay card acceptance has reached 85%, 80%, and 90% respectively. The UnionPay logo is now visible at major tourist landmarks including the London Eye, Eiffel Tower, and the Acropolis Museum in Athens.
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Comprehensive Travel Enhancements
UPI has optimized the use of UnionPay cards across various travel scenarios, including food, accommodation, transportation, travel, entertainment, and shopping. At major European hub airports such as Charles de Gaulle, Frankfurt, and Heathrow, the UnionPay card experience has been enhanced, with over 90 international airlines and online travel agencies like Trip.com supporting UnionPay card payments. UnionPay cards are also convenient for national railways and urban transportation in countries like Italy, Spain, Netherlands, and Hungary.
UnionPay International collaborates with various partners to offer a range of benefits for tourists across 44 countries and regions. These include tax refunds, shopping mall discounts, and UnionPay App or QR code refunds at multiple major European airports. Travelers to 20 countries including the UK, Ireland, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Italy can enjoy preferential exchange rates for in-country purchases by registering on the UnionPay App.
Global Reach and Digital Transformation
The issuance of UnionPay cards outside China has surpassed 240 million, with cardholders in 82 countries, including over 10 European nations such as Spain and Serbia. This summer, several countries including Japan, South Korea, Australia, and those in Southeast Asia have introduced local UnionPay card products to facilitate convenient payments for European travelers.
Embracing the digital transformation in the payment industry, UnionPay offers mobile payment services globally. There are currently around 200 UnionPay collaborative wallets internationally, potentially reaching over 600 million users. Diverse UnionPay card payment products, including card, QR code, and QuickPass, are cross-border compatible and have become a popular payment method for pan-European tourism.
UnionPay International’s expansion in Europe not only simplifies transactions for its cardholders but also enhances the overall travel experience, making it more convenient and affordable.
Source: UnionPay International Expands European Network for Enhanced Summer Travel Convenience
