Tourists Can Now Pre-charge Digital Yuan Wallets with International Cards in China

Visiting China? Pre-charge your Digital Yuan wallets with Visa and Mastercard

Tourists planning on visiting the People's Republic of China can now pre-charge Digital Yuan wallets using VISA and Mastercard payment options as the nation continues to update the mobile app powering its CBDC pilot.

e-CNY app now supports international cards

The e-CNY app, which is still in its pilot version, is available to iOS and China-based Google Play Store users. The application serves individual users, allowing them to open digital renminbi wallets to make use of e-CNY. As per the latest iOS app update published on Sept. 22, version 1.1.1 includes the support of its top-up service with international card options.

Convenient timing for the Asian Games

According to a number of local Chinese news outlets, the latest version of the e-CNY app coincides with the start of the Asian Games.

Easier signup process for foreigners

China had extensively trialed the use of the digital renminbi as a payment option for foreigners visiting the country. According to Yicai, the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022 marked the beginning of the CBDC pilot being open for tourists as a means to transact with local merchants using e-CNY. Inbound tourists are reportedly able to make use of overseas mobile numbers to register and open e-CNY wallets and make use of the recharge wallet feature which now supports VISA and Mastercard payments.

Pushing for e-CNY adoption

As Cointelegraph recently reported, China is making moves to ensure that the Digital Yuan is available as a payment option for all retail payment scenarios. This would make the e-CNY a ubiquitous payment method in China between retail users and merchants.