Travellers to China can now use Alipay and WeChat Pay after the hugely popular mobile payments platforms moved to let people link international credit cards.
International visitors can now use Visa, Mastercard and JCB cards with WeChat Pay for payments of up to 6000 yuan (more than $800) for one-time transactions.
Meanwhile, Alipay has moved to accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Diners Club and Discover cards. Both platforms are charging a three per cent fee for transactions over a certain amount.
While the apps first made moves to open up to international users in 2019, until last week WeChat Pay needed a locally-issued credit card while Alipay only accepted international cards if the user enrolled in a programme with a five per cent fee.
The popularity of Alipay and WeChat Pay has seen cash usage drop dramatically in China, with many merchants not offering change, according to Nikkei Asia.
WeChat Pay owner Tencent says the latest move will benefit an expected influx of tourists for sporting events such as FISU World University Games and the Asian Games.