China's Xinjiang upgrades payment services for inbound travelers

URUMQI -- More than 180,000 overseas visitors to Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region used mobile payment services in the first half of 2026, up 45 percent year-on-year, local authorities announced Tuesday.

During the period, mobile payment transactions by overseas visitors totaled nearly 700 million yuan ($103 million).

As the region continues to streamline its payment service for inbound travelers, Xinjiang allows visitors to pay directly with digital wallets from their home countries or regions without downloading additional apps. The service now covers 228 overseas e-wallets from 37 countries and regions, according to the regional government.

Meanwhile, foreign bank card transactions by inbound travelers in Xinjiang reached 148,000 in the first six months of the year, 1.68 times the figure of the same period last year. A total of 58,500 business entities in the region now support foreign bank card payments.

Tax refund and currency exchange services have been improved as well. In the regional capital Urumqi, 16 tax refund stores now offer online tax refund services that can be completed in about five minutes. Inbound travelers can access currency exchange services at nearly 5,000 locations across the region.

These measures come as China continues to expand its opening up and attract more international visitors and business travelers. The country has expanded visa-free policies in recent years, allowing longer stays and wider travel.

Data from the National Immigration Administration show that in the first half of 2026, visa-free entries by foreign nationals surged 30.6 percent year-on-year to surpass 17.8 million.

Li Bo, deputy head of the Xinjiang branch of the People's Bank of China, said the measures have enabled inbound travelers to make payments and receive tax refunds more smoothly, significantly improving their payment experience in Xinjiang.