Apple Pay Adds Cross-Border Visa Support for Users in Mainland China

Apple announced today that it is expanding Apple Pay cross-border payment support for users in mainland China. The update allows customers to use Visa credit cards issued by local banks, as well as Visa debit cards from CITIC Bank, for contactless payments at merchants around the world and for online transactions.



Jennifer Bailey, Apple's vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, noted that the expansion aims to make the travel experience smoother and more secure for students and tourists. The move continues a recent push to broaden financial services in the region, following the launch of Tap to Pay on iPhone in Hong Kong and Singapore last month.


Initial support covers Visa credit cards from major institutions including Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China, Bank of Communications, China Merchants Bank, CITIC Bank, Ping An Bank, and Industrial Bank. Visa debit cards issued by CITIC Bank are also supported at launch. Apple says these partners worked alongside China UnionPay to enable the cross-border functionality.

Additional banks, including Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, China Construction Bank, China Minsheng Bank, and China Everbright Bank, are scheduled to add support for their Visa credit cards in the coming months. Mastercard is also preparing to roll out similar functionality for select issuers during the same timeframe.

To use the feature, customers can add their cards via their banking app or directly through the Wallet app on iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch devices running iOS 17, iPadOS 17, or watchOS 10 or later. As with standard Apple Pay transactions, Apple emphasized that actual card numbers are not stored on the device or Apple servers. Instead, a unique Device Account Number is encrypted and stored in the Secure Element to process payments securely.