In collaboration with ICBC (Macau) and the Galaxy Macau resort, Weixin Pay launched its palm scan payment service in Macao on Tuesday, marking the innovative application’s debut outside the Chinese mainland market.
It is expected to offer more payment options to Chinese mainland tourists and create more business opportunities for local merchants, driving high-quality development in Macao’s tourism industry.
After successful registration, users can make payments by scanning their palms directly. Since its launch last year, the Weixin Palm Pay has become widely used in retail, dining, transportation, power bank rentals, and other scenarios in the Chinese mainland, said Xia Kai, head of Weixin Pay Hardware Innovation.
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In the first phase of its applications in Macao, more than 60 retail outlets at StarWorld Hotel, Galaxy Macau, Broadway Macau, and Galaxy Arena have supported the payment solution.
Xia explained that the underlying technology relies on the recognition of both palm print and palm vein to create a touchless and high-accuracy user experience.
As to data security concerns, the company pledged that Weixin Palm Pay incorporates Tencent’s advanced security technologies and financial risk control measures to ensure a safe transaction experience. It has passed the tests of China’s National FinTech Evaluation Center. Weixin Pay also has jointly developed and issued China’s first palm payment standard at industry level.
Tai Kin-ip, director of the Economic and Technological Development Bureau of the Macao SAR, said the bureau has been launching digital upgrade plans for small and medium-sized enterprises for four consecutive years to support them in enhancing operational efficiency through the use of technological tools.
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“The total amount of mobile payment transactions in Macao last year increased 22 times compared to four years ago,” he said. He added that he believes the new collaboration will further enable Macao’s electronic payments to keep pace with technological advancements and optimize local digital economic development.
