PayPay Corporation (hereinafter “PayPay”) is pleased to announce that “UnionPay App” (UnionPay QR), a cashless payment service from China (including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macau Special Administrative Region), will become available at PayPay merchants nationwide through HIVEX® starting September 3, 2026.
■ “UnionPay App” (UnionPay QR) now available at PayPay merchants
The “UnionPay App” is a smartphone payment app provided by UnionPay (銀聯) that allows users to register UnionPay cards issued in China (including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macau Special Administrative Region) and use them for code-based payments.
■ PayPay continues to expand support for inbound payments. Approximately 80% of foreign visitors to Japan are able to make payments at PayPay merchants through payment services in their home countries!
Users of 36 cashless payment services from 17 countries and regions will be able to make payments at PayPay merchants for expenses such as dining, souvenirs, and accommodation when they visit Japan. At PayPay merchants in Japan, overseas cashless payment services provided in countries and regions that account for approximately 80% of inbound visitors to Japan*1 will be available.
By meeting the increasingly diverse payment needs of international visitors to Japan, PayPay aims to attract more customers to PayPay merchants nationwide and contribute to greater convenience and growth in inbound spending.
Since launching “PayPay” in October 2018, PayPay has been building an environment that enables users of overseas cashless payment services to make payments at PayPay merchants, with the aim of helping merchants capture inbound demand. When users pay with an overseas cashless payment service via a PayPay QR code, they enter the purchase amount in Japanese yen and the amount is automatically converted into their local currency. This makes shopping easier for users and helps merchants serve visitors who speak different languages more smoothly.
In July 2026, the number of international visitors to Japan reached 3,442,100. As the number of international visitors has increased across multiple markets, including South Korea, Thailand, and Malaysia, inbound visitor markets are becoming increasingly diverse*2. By accepting payments via 36 payment services used in 17 countries and regions through PayPay, merchants can better serve and capture increasingly diverse inbound demands.
PayPay will continue to strengthen its collaboration with overseas payment services to support merchants in capturing inbound demand.
*1. (Reference) PayPay calculated the reach of overseas cashless payment services available at PayPay merchants based on the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)’s estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan for December 2025 (https://www.jnto.go.jp/news/press/20260121_monthly.html).
*2. (Reference) Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), Number of foreign visitors to Japan (estimated value for July 2026) (https://www.jnto.go.jp/statistics/data/_files/20260819_1615-1.pdf).
■ About HIVEX®
HIVEX® provides mobile payment service providers (MPSPs) with common business rules, system integration, consistent and neutral branding, and greater commercial scalability, helping deliver a better user experience. By partnering with HIVEX®, cross-border payments that were previously unfeasible are now possible.
*Company names, trade names, and product/service names mentioned in this press release are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective companies.
