Weixin palm pay launches in Macau, its first app outside the mainland

Weixin Pay, in collaboration with ICBC (Macau) and Galaxy Macau, has launched its palm scan payment service at the integrated resort, marking the first application of Weixin’s palm payment services outside the mainland.

Yesterday’s launch event was attended by Tai Kin Ip, Director of Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT) and Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO).

The launch not only represents a milestone for technological innovation in Macau but also promotes the digital transformation of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.

MGTO and Weixin Pay believe this offering will allow for more payment options for mainland tourists, as well as create more business opportunities for local merchants, driving development in Macau’s tourism industry and financial space.

Kai Xia, Head of Weixin Pay Hardware Innovation, said yesterday the underlying technology relies on the recognition of both palmprint and palm vein to create a touchless and high-accuracy user experience.

“The user’s identity can be detected and payment can be completed within one second. What is the technology behind it? In fact, it is based on the identification of tens of millions of users, and then accurately finds who you are, with an accuracy rate of over 99%,” said Xia.

Weixin Pay has jointly developed and issued China’s first palm payment standard at the industry level, leading the industrial application of the technology, as well as exploring overseas adoption.

Convenience and security

Weixin Palm Pay utilizes palmprint and palm vein recognition technology to provide a touchless and “high-accuracy user experience”.

The payment solution incorporates advanced security measures and financial risk control from Tencent, ensuring a safe transaction experience.

Weixin’s pioneering palm payment technology has passed the tests of China’s National FinTech Evaluation Center and has jointly developed the first palm payment standard at the industry level.

In the initial phase, more than 60 shops and retail locations at StarWorld Hotel, Galaxy Macau, Broadway Macau, and Galaxy Arena have integrated the Weixin Palm Pay solution.

This allows users who have activated their Weixin Pay RMB e-wallet and Weixin Palm Pay features to make convenient purchases with a wave of their palms.

Weixin Pay said they will continue working closely with partners to expand payment scenarios in Macau.

“Weixin Palm Pay is already widely used in the retail, dining, transportation, power bank rental, and other sectors on the mainland,” said Xia.

“Now, with its launch in Macau, we hope to use technology to bring more convenience to users at Galaxy Macau and enhance their shopping and payment experiences.”

Wayne Chen, General Manager of Weixin Pay Cross-Border Business Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, said Weixin Palm Pay has now been implemented across various industries on the mainland, significantly improving user experience in payment, as well as other aspects like security access.

In other use cases such as power bank rentals, the lending process for users has been streamlined from four steps to two; in campus cafeterias, serving efficiency has increased by over 60%; and the repeat usage rate surpasses 70% in multiple scenarios.

“Therefore, we hope to help overseas merchants improve their operational efficiency through the implementation of Weixin Palm Pay,” Chen said.

He added, “the biggest difference is contactless, which actually makes a big difference in hygiene.”

By bringing this technology to Macau, Weixin Pay aims to help overseas merchants improve their operational efficiency and provide a more convenient payment experience for tourists and expand into the payment landscape in Macau and beyond. Nadia Shaw