Macau leads cross-border Weixin Pay volumes among mainland travelers

Mainland Chinese travelers flocked to Macau during the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, driving significant growth in cross-border spending, according to Weixin’s 2025 National Day & Mid-Autumn Festival Data Report.

The mainland’s eight-day holiday break concluded Wednesday, with Macau attracting over 1.05 million visitors, exceeding both last year’s figures and pre-pandemic levels from 2019, due to government measures designed to draw tourists.

The city saw an average of 150,000 daily arrivals, a 7.4% increase compared with the same period last year, with mainland Chinese visitors accounting for an average of 125,000 per day, and visitors from Hong Kong averaging 15,000 daily.

Weixin Pay cross-border transactions rose 21% year-on-year, while Weixin Mini Program overseas transportation transactions surged 2.5 times.

The Greater Bay Area, particularly Macau, saw especially strong activity.

According to the report, Macau consistently ranked as one of the top destinations for mainland tourists traveling abroad, leading cross-border Weixin Pay transaction volumes.

Ride-hailing orders booked by mainland tourists in Macau via platforms such as Amap increased more than fivefold year-on-year.

“Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR remain top destinations for Chinese mainland tourists, and visa-free countries, including Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, saw boosted transactions,” the report noted.

Weixin Pay spending in South Korea rose 46%, Singapore saw a 32% increase, and Malaysia experienced a threefold surge in transaction volume and value via PayNet.

Japan’s integration with local e-wallets like PayPay, auPAY, and merpay/d-barai facilitated a 25% growth in Weixin Pay usage, allowing Chinese travelers seamless access to payment services abroad.

Overseas Mini Programs, covering 92 countries and regions, saw transaction volumes increase over 50% in tourism and 30% in catering sectors.

The average daily transaction value from Chinese tourists using overseas SME Mini Programs grew more than 70% year-on-year, reflecting heightened consumer activity in hospitality and dining.

Transportation convenience also expanded with Weixin Mini Programs enabling travel on services including Hong Kong Airport Express, Kuala Lumpur Airport Express, and Heathrow Airport Express, while Korea’s Korail and Italy’s Frecciarossa and Italo facilitated long-distance travel abroad.

On the inbound side, international tourists increasingly relied on WeChat Mini Programs to navigate China.

During the first five days of Golden Week, inbound Mini Program usage increased over 60% year-on-year, while Hong Kong residents traveling to the mainland saw transaction volumes via WeChat Pay HK surge more than 120%, particularly in e-commerce, pet services, and courier services.