Press Release: PayPal World Enables US Travelers to Pay Like a Local at Weixin Pay Merchants Across China

New York, NY (August 11, 2026) — As international travel reaches its peak during the summer holidays, US PayPal users can now use the PayPal app to make in-store QR code payments at Weixin Pay merchants across China. No additional app, local wallet or Chinese bank account is required.

China is home to one of the world’s most advanced QR payment ecosystems, where QR codes are the everyday way to pay for everything – from shopping malls and restaurants to convenience stores and tourist attractions. Powered by PayPal World, a cross-border network connecting many of the world’s largest payment systems and digital wallets, and TenPay Global, Tencent’s cross-border payment platform, US travelers can now access that experience using the PayPal app they already know and trust.

This comes as international travel to China continues to grow, with the country welcoming more than 68 million international visitors in 2025, up 15.5% year-over-year, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council.

For many international travelers, paying for everyday purchases abroad can be one of the most unfamiliar parts of the journey. PayPal World removes that friction by allowing US PayPal users to pay at Weixin Pay merchants using the PayPal app they already know. Whether scanning a merchant QR code or presenting a QR code where supported, travelers can enjoy the same familiar and trusted PayPal experience they rely on at home, while paying the way locals do in China.

“Travel should be about experiencing a new destination, not figuring out how to pay,” said Alexander Bellabarba, Senior Vice President, Global Product Solutions, PayPal.  “As more people travel internationally, they expect payment experiences to be as seamless abroad as they are at home. PayPal World gives users a simple, familiar way to pay overseas using the PayPal app they already have. It’s another step toward making cross-border payments as convenient and intuitive as paying at home.”

“TenPay Global is committed to working with PayPal World, to build a more open and inclusive global payment network together. We believe the next phase of borderless payments will be driven by greater interoperability and deeper ecosystem collaboration,” said Wenhui Yang, CEO of TenPay Global (Singapore). “We will work with PayPal World to further connect more international digital wallets with the Weixin Pay merchant network. Through our collaboration, international visitors will be able to use their home wallets to make QR code payments at tens of millions of Weixin Pay merchants in the Chinese mainland, offering them a familiar and convenient way to pay,” he added.

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With PayPal World, PayPal users can:

• Pay like a local at Weixin Pay merchants across China by simply scanning a merchant QR code or presenting a PayPal in-app QR code for the merchant to scan.
• Travel with confidence using the PayPal app they already know and trust.
• Enjoy a seamless cross-border payment experience enabled through PayPal World’s global digital wallet interoperability.
  
   

Get vacation-ready for the summer

Travelers planning a trip to China can prepare in just a few steps:

• Update the PayPal app to the latest version.
• Ensure sufficient funds are loaded in their PayPal Balance account and set up ‘Auto Reload’ for convenient top-up.
• Enable location services and familiarize themselves with the in-store payment experience before departure.
  
   

Available today

The in-store QR payment experience is available today for US PayPal users at Weixin Pay merchants across China.

 

About PayPal World

PayPal World is a cross-border payment network that connects wallets and platforms under a common framework.  The PayPal World network is operated by PayPal Network Pte. Ltd. an entity incorporated in Singapore.  https://www.paypalworld.com/us/personal/instore 

Media Contacts

PayPal Media Relations (mediarelations@paypal.com)