UnionPay says SAR app transaction volume doubled in December

The transaction volume of Hong Kong and Macau customers using the UnionPay app doubled last month, according to a statement from the company. This is a sign of rising popularity for the service in the two special administrative regions, the company said.

The mobile payment service first became available in September 2018, on account of the rising number of cross-border payments brought about by the construction of the Greater Bay Area project. As of January 16, over 10,000 merchants in Macau and Hong Kong accepted the UnionPay QR code payment.

Customers in the two special administrative regions can download the app and link their locally-issued UnionPay cards to enjoy cross-border mobile payment services both locally and overseas. According to the UnionPay, most of the major card issuers in Hong Kong and Macau offer compatibility with the app, including the Hong Kong and Macau Branches of the Bank of China.

“With the launch of the UnionPay app in Hong Kong and Macau, UnionPay International has continued to expand the acceptance scope of the app in Hong Kong and Macau, taking into consideration the payment needs of both local consumers and tourists from the mainland,” the company noted in a statement released on Wednesday.

Now available in 46 countries and regions, the UnionPay QR code payment and mobile QuickPass services are popular among Hong Kong and Macau residents using certain services in the mainland, including high-speed rail ticket purchase, mobile phone top-up, flight ticket and hotel booking, and catering, according to the firm’s statement.

The app is currently accepted by taxi services in Hong Kong and soon the city’s MTR network. In Macau, over 400 food stalls of the 18th Macau Food Festival all accepted payment through the UnionPay app, while the app will be the only digital payment option accepted by many food stalls having special offers at the Victoria Park Lunar New Year Fair in Hong Kong.

Major brands that accept the UnionPay app include Tai Hing, Chow Tai Fook, Broadway Lifestyle, Commercial Press, Pricerite, Sasa, Wai Yuen Tong, Ajisen Ramen.