New payment tool introduced, these UAE tourists don’t need a wallet to shop

Now, Chinese visitors can finish their shopping trips quicker than usual. Retail giant Majid Al Futtaim has introduced WeChat Pay, China’s mobile payment platform, to allow visitors from the Asian market to make cashless purchases using their smartphones at Mall of the Emirates in Dubai.

WeChat is a widely used social networking app in China, developed by Chinese technology giant Tencent. It allows users to juggle several tasks, from chatting with friends to making purchases at the store. More than nine out of ten Chinese use their mobile phones to make payment over cash, and WeChat Pay is said to be the most preferred choice.

And since China is now the fourth-biggest source market for tourists travelling to Dubai, it just makes sense for a Dubai-based company to also make their popular payment tool available in the UAE.

With WeChat Pay, shoppers no longer need to fumble for cash at the register. They can simply take out their mobile phone like they do their credit or debit card, but the payment process is quicker than a card payment.

According to Mall of the Emirates, it is the first shopping and lifestyle destination in the UAE to own a verified WeChat official account.

The new service is made possible in the UAE through Royal Cloud Pay, which provides retailers the ability to accept payments made by mobile devices using WeChat. While the payment tool is available only at Mall of the Emirates at the moment, the retail giant said it is also working to secure the adoption of WeChat Pay among many of its retailers in the coming months.

Roughly 83 per cent of all smartphone users in China are subscribed to WeChat and they use it for everything, from chatting to shopping.

“Having this e-wallet feature at the mall is a significant step in enhancing our Chinese visitors’ experience and create great moments whenever they visit,” said Fuad mansoor Sharaf, managing director for Majid Al Futtaim Properties – Shopping Malls in UAE, Bahrain and Oman. “They can also take advantage of customized services and a wide range of choice, from the best hotels to family leisure options all in one place.”

Content Courtesy: gulfnews.com