Tencent launches payments app for ‘China-maxxing’ foreign tourists

Tencent has launched a new payments app targeting foreign visitors to China, as the country’s largest tech group seeks to capture spending from the growing wave of “China-maxxing” tourists.

The Chinese tech group on Thursday rolled out TenPayGo, an app that allows overseas visitors to pay at tens of millions of restaurants and shops through Tencent’s payments network using Visa, Mastercard and Apple Pay.

TenPayGo will compete with Ant Group’s Alipay, which has established itself as the main payments platform for foreign visitors navigating China’s largely cashless economy.

China has recorded an increase in international tourism this year after expanding visa-free entry to citizens of dozens of countries including the UK, France and Spain. Foreign nationals made 22.9mn inbound trips in the first half of the year, up 20 per cent from the same period in 2025, according to government data.

Tencent’s app will also let visitors order food deliveries and book ride-hailing services. It also includes tools for identifying objects and translating menus, in an effort to help tourists navigate China’s sprawling ecosystem of digital services.

Daily life in China involves heavy use of “super apps” such as Tencent’s WeChat, encompassing everything from restaurant bookings and food deliveries to taxis and retail discounts. Foreign visitors have struggled to access some of these services without a Chinese phone number or locally issued payment method.

Ant Group gave foreigners access to its payment platform in 2019, after tourists faced growing problems in using cash or foreign cards as China rapidly shifted towards mobile payments.

The push by Tencent comes as Chinese cities and tourist destinations step up efforts to attract overseas travellers.

Destinations including Zhangjiajie, the mountainous region that inspired the landscapes in the film Avatar, and the tropical southern island of Hainan have increased international promotion campaigns to attract higher spending by foreign tourists.