Practical | WeChat, Alipay, Apple Pay, which is better for overseas travel?

How many days can you survive without cash?

The online article recently went viral on WeChat Moments.

How much cash do you carry when you go out?

Those who came back with almost all their cash intact

are increasing.

For Chinese people, because WeChat and Alipay are already applicable in many countries and regions, traveling abroad no longer requires carrying a lot of cash, eliminating worries about theft and saving on exchange fees. It's safe, convenient, and cost-effective!

In addition to saving on overseas card swiping and domestic money exchange fees, WeChat and Alipay can also directly handle tax refunds in some tourist destinations! For example, after completing simple tax refund procedures at the airport, the refund will be directly returned to your WeChat or Alipay account, which is very convenient.

However, when traveling abroad, which is the most convenient: WeChat, Alipay, or Apple Pay?

Applicable regions

Alipay has a wider range of applications.

Alipay applicable regions

Currently in Europe, America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, etc. 26 countries and regions Alipay has integrated over 100,000 offline merchant stores, supporting 18 currencies.

     Southeast Asia: Taking Thailand as an example, in popular destinations such as Bangkok and Phuket, from small convenience stores to large duty-free shops, Alipay can be used directly for payment. The Alipay logo is also ubiquitous in convenience stores in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan.

   Japan: Alipay also has wide coverage in Japan. Tens of thousands of Lawson convenience stores, 7-Eleven convenience stores, as well as KFC, Muji, Uniqlo, subway department stores, and airports all accept Alipay.

     Europe: Some large shopping malls in major European countries such as France, the UK, Germany, and Russia accept Alipay. The familiar Alipay logo can also be seen in some souvenir shops, jewelry and watch stores, and hotels.

     USA: Some large department stores and outlet malls in the United States, such as those on Fifth Avenue in New York and Beverly Hills in Los Angeles, LV stores, San Francisco Airport, DFS duty-free shops, and other well-known merchants. Alipay's scope of application is constantly expanding, and it is expected that 4 million US merchants will support Alipay.

WeChat applicable regions

Currently in USA, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand, etc. 15 countries and regions WeChat Pay can be used. Although its reach is not as extensive as Alipay, its convenience is comparable. As long as you see the WeChat Pay logo, you can enjoy direct foreign currency settlement, saving on exchange rate fees. Currently, it supports direct settlement in 12 foreign currencies.

It needs to be emphasized that the United States According to WeChat's official introduction, the California Disneyland adjacent to the southwest coast, as well as some well-known restaurants in San Francisco, New York, and Saipan, have already integrated WeChat Pay. Although WeChat is a latecomer, it is constantly striving for more market share in the United States and Europe.

Apple Pay applicable regions

In contrast, using Apple Pay for overseas travel is more complicated because Apple Pay in China, which is linked to UnionPay cards, is based on UnionPay Cloud QuickPass. In other words, whether you can use Apple Pay for consumption during overseas travel depends on whether the merchant has the UnionPay logo and whether it supports UnionPay Cloud QuickPass.

If you have linked Visa or Mastercard credit cards, and the merchant's checkout terminal also supports Visa or Mastercard, then you can use it. However, you are actually paying with a credit card, using the Visa or Mastercard channel, and still need to settle in US dollars, paying exchange rate conversion fees.

Therefore, in regions that support UnionPay consumption, such as some Asian travel destinations, Apple Pay can also be used. However, these regions have already been dominated by Alipay and WeChat. The only advantage of using Apple Pay is that it looks cool, such as using an Apple Watch to wave your hand to pay, which is quite stylish~

In summary, in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Japan, and Southeast Asia, Alipay and WeChat are equally convenient. In Europe, Alipay is superior because its tax refund service is very convenient. Since Alipay has already taken the lead in overseas consumption, WeChat is catching up. Therefore, in terms of coverage, Alipay is definitely wider.

In terms of tax refunds

Alipay is faster and easier to operate.

When traveling abroad, each country will have different percentages of value-added tax and consumption tax included in the goods you purchase. Tax refunds are a way to encourage tourists to shop and stimulate consumption. Europe is the origin of tax refund policies, and sometimes the tax refund in European countries can reach 15% of the purchase price.

Alipay Tax Refund

Alipay tax refunds have several advantages: fast arrival, simple operation, RMB settlement, and notification upon arrival.

Airports supporting Alipay tax refunds:

Germany: Frankfurt Airport Frankfurt, Munich Airport Munich, Hamburg Airport Hamburg, Berlin Tegel Airport Berlin Tegel, Berlin Schönefeld Airport Berlin Schönefeld, Düsseldorf Airport Düsseldorf;

Italy: Milan Malpensa Airport Milan Malpensa, Rome Airport Rome Fiumicino, Rimini Airport Rimini, Florence Airport Florence;

UK: LHR && LGW (agent) London Heathrow Airport, London Gatwick Airport;

France: CGD && ORY (agent) Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris; Orly Airport, Paris;

Netherlands: Amsterdam Schiphol Airport;

Switzerland: Zurich Airport Zurich;

Spain: Madrid Airport Madrid;

Finland: Helsinki Airport Helsinki.

According to Alipay's official website, airports supporting Alipay tax refunds are mainly in Europe. In terms of operation, just follow the tax refund instructions at the airport. It's important to note that the tax refund form requires a customs stamp. Some airports support real-time settlement; otherwise, you'll need to choose the mail refund method, with a settlement time generally of 10-15 business days.

WeChat Tax Refund

WeChat's tax refund method involves a WeChat official account called "Tax Refund Pass", which you can follow. Currently, more than 30 countries support WeChat tax refund services.

Benefits of WeChat tax refund: SF Express provides free pick-up of all documents after returning home, plus an additional RMB 10 cash rebate per transaction. However, in European countries where Alipay supports real-time settlement, people will still prioritize Alipay.

   In short, no matter which method you use, the three unavoidable things are: filling out the tax refund form, getting the customs stamp, and keeping all shopping receipts.

It seems that Alipay has the upper hand here, but the more obscure the destination, the more obvious this difference becomes. For most popular travel destinations, the difference may not be significant. Seeing these green and blue logos abroad feels quite familiar, doesn't it?