UnionPay QR code payment accepted by the Chinese embassy in Nepal
UnionPay payment services now available in the Chinese embassies and consulates in 36 countries and regions
2020-01-13

UnionPay International announced today that UnionPay QR code payment is now accepted by embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Nepal, allowing Chinese citizens to pay for consular services by scanning UnionPay QR code via the “UnionPay” mobile application. Up to now, UnionPay payment services are available at the Chinese embassies and consulates in 36 countries and regions.

Statistic shows that currently over 170 million Chinese citizens traveled overseas in 2019, among which about 1.5 million are students studying overseas. Meanwhile, the number of overseas Chinese is over 60 million. Under this circumstance, UnionPay International, in response to the principle of “Diplomacy for the People” advocated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and with a view to better serve Chinese citizens overseas, has been speeding up the improvement of the payment environment in Chinese embassies and consulates overseas. So far, UnionPay payment solutions are accepted by Chinese embassies and consulates in the major destinations for Chinese students including the United States, Australia and New Zealand, popular tourist destinations such as Switzerland, Spain, the United Arab Emirates and Greece, and several countries and regions along the “Belt and Road” such as Russia, Thailand and Kenya. Recently, Chinese embassies and consulates in Norway, Sweden, Finland and South Korea have also started accepting UnionPay payment. And Chinese embassies and consulates in Singapore, New Zealand, the Philippines and Japan support UnionPay QR code payment.

In 2019, China becomes the second largest tourist source country of Nepal with about 150,000 Chinese tourists visited the country. The UnionPay card, as the main payment method of Chinese tourists, has realized an acceptance coverage of 70% in Nepal, where tens of thousands of merchants accept UnionPay QR code payment. With this new partnership, the “UnionPay” mobile application becomes another payment option supported by Chinese embassy in Nepal in addition to cash, and therefore allows Chinese citizens to make payments by scanning UnionPay QR codes at the embassy, enjoying a better experience without the need for currency exchange and change making.

Meanwhile, “consular services accessible at fingertips” are also available for the local residents in Nepal. In July this year, UnionPay International was granted by Nepal Rastra Bank the first Payment Systems Operator license held by an international company and therefore became the only international card scheme that is allowed to carry out e-wallet and QR-code businesses in Nepal. Now, Nepalese residents who apply for a Chinese visa at the Chinese embassy in Nepal may sign up for a UnionPay virtual card in their local e-wallet “Qpay Nepal” and make payment by scanning UnionPay QR codes.

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