(CFP Photo)

Jiangsu Province convened a work meeting on March 15 to optimize payment services for inbound tourists and elderly residents.

This meeting followed an announcement of Sun Yeli, Minister of Culture and Tourism, at a press conference during the “two sessions” earlier this month to encourage the endeavor.

At the meeting, Jiangsu introduced the timetable and roadmap for the initiative. By mid-April, key venues and major businesses in Nanjing, Suzhou and other cities will fully accept payments via domestic and foreign bank cards, cash, or mobile payment. ATMs supporting foreign cards for cash withdrawal will be available within a 3-kilometre radius of key venues. The province’s international airports will also ensure foreign currency exchange services.

Meanwhile, Jiangsu will open service counters at ports of entry to provide assisance for currency exchange and mobile payment app downloads.

Currently, foreign tourists in China can make payments in three ways - cards, cash and mobile payment – although the majority prefer the first two types. However, as cashless payment via smartphones has dominated commercial venues in China, foreigners may find it hard to pay in cash or with cards, and mobile payment can also be challenging for them.

In the past, point-of-sale devices were very popular in China before the rise of mobile payment. In comparison, businesses generally are now reluctant to accept cards.

Using foreign cards including VISA, MasterCard and American Express in China generally incurs fees of around 3%, which is much higher than the fees for domestic cards (0.6%) and QR code-based payments (0.3%).