WeChat Wallet Now Available To China Travelers

Great news for all travelers to China: the popular messaging app WeChat has just announced that users will now be able to link the wallet feature with international credit cards. Now non-Chinese bank account holders will have access to the same conveniences as locals.

Gone are the days of withdrawing large amounts of cash at airport ATMs. As of January 2018, WeChat allows users to tie its mobile wallet feature to international credit cards like MasterCard, Visa, and JCB.

Previously, this feature, which can be used in lieu of cash or debit at nearly all establishments on the mainland, was only available to Chinese bank account holders. Through the wallet feature, users can also book rail tickets, order a taxi, purchase movie tickets, and more.

The only catch is that the WeChat app must be downloaded in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan. Downloading the app prior to your trip will not give you access to the wallet feature.

Tencent, WeChat’s parent company, has made this move in an effort to attract more non-Chinese users. Though the app boasts nearly 1 billion monthly users, few outside of China even know that the app exists, and fewer still know of its many functions, which could make apps from Venmo to Skype obsolete.

While China was a cash based economy as recently as five years ago, today, cash has been almost completely replaced by mobile apps like WeChat Wallet. WeChat’s announcement thus makes travelers less of a target for pickpocketing.

More importantly, WeChat Wallet also gives travelers more direct access to bike shares, which have become increasingly popular in China since 2016, when they were introduced. To use this feature, simply link your Mobike or Ofo app to WeChat, then scan the bike’s QR code. Seconds later, you’ll be riding toward your next destination.

This change may be the first step toward WeChat’s world domination, because once you try it, you’ll have a hard time going back to life without it.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

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