World Duty Free rolls out WeChat Pay at London Heathrow
SafeCharge has partnered with World Duty Free at London Heathrow Airport, so that Chinese travellers can use the e-wallet solution WeChat Pay.
World Duty Free is tapping SafeCharge’s new mobile PoS application, which enables merchants to accept QR code-based payment methods. This was initially rolled out in Terminal 4 and is currently being extended across the other Heathrow terminals.
“Chinese shoppers are among the most tech savvy in the world and take the ability to go cashless and make mobile payments at home for granted,” says David Avgi, CEO, SafeCharge.
“With Chinese tourism growing at a 20% rate every year, it has become vital for merchants to adapt to offer these valued customers the service and experience that they expect, and that means accepting Chinese alternative payment methods whether online, in their shops, pop-up stores or outdoor markets in order to remain competitive.”
More than a third of smartphone users will this year use in-store mobile payments at least once every six months, according to eMarketer. By 2021, that figure will reach 39.8%, or roughly 1.12 billion people.
eMarketer expects that 13.2% of the global population will be users this year. By 2021, that proportion is expected to grow to 17.2%. China is the world’s leader; more than 61% of mobile payment users in 2018 will be based in the country.
The main driver of growth will be increasing retailer acceptance, in tandem with the rise of the big three international providers, Android Pay, Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, and WeChat Pay and fellow Chinese offering AliPay.
