Qingdao in East China's Shandong province has become a popular destination for inbound travelers, thanks to policies like 240-hour transit visa exemptions and instant tax refunds for overseas shoppers. The city is further improving its payment systems to allow international visitors to explore with ease using their preferred payment methods.

According to the Qingdao Branch of the People's Bank of China, financial institutions in the city have been actively improving payment convenience for foreign tourists. In the first three quarters of the year, mobile payment services served an average of 31,000 overseas monthly users, a 113 percent year-on-year increase, with transaction volume and value rising by 203 percent and 171 percent, respectively.

To support seamless payments, Qingdao has expanded foreign card acceptance to over 5,300 key merchants, covering dining, accommodation, transportation, shopping, and entertainment. The city has also established more than 1,000 currency exchange points, including banks, authorized agencies, and self-service machines.

Seven major shopping malls across Qingdao, such as Hisense Plaza and MixC, have been designated as "payment-friendly hubs". As Shandong's first payment-friendly shopping mall for international visitors, Qingdao Hisense Plaza has introduced Alipay+ services, allowing overseas customers to make convenient scan-to-pay transactions directly through their preferred home e-wallets.

Key transport hubs, including Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport and Qingdao North Railway Station, also offer tailored services like card cash withdrawals, currency exchange, and mobile payment assistance.

To help visitors navigate these options, multilingual payment guides and instructional videos have been distributed at popular tourist spots and entry ports, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience in Qingdao.

Qingdao in East China's Shandong province turns out to be a popular destination for inbound travelers. [Photo/Guanhai News]