Suwon City Teams Up with Alipay and WeChat Pay to Boost Foreign Tourist Payments

Suwon City in Gyeonggi Province is launching a promotion in collaboration with Alipay and WeChat Pay for the "2026-2027 Visit Suwon Year." The promotion will offer discounts and preferential exchange rates to customers who pay with Alipay or WeChat Pay in eight districts frequented by foreign visitors.

According to Suwon City, until July 31, customers can receive a 20% discount (up to 6,500 won, up to three times per person) when they pay with Alipay (CN) at approximately 5,000 Zero Pay affiliate stores located in Haenggung, Yeonmu, Yeonghwa, Maegyo, Godeung, Maesan, Ingye, and Jidong. Payments made via Alipay+ will also receive a 20% discount (up to 5,000 won, up to five times per person).

Payments made using WeChat Pay are eligible for a maximum 10% “super” preferential exchange rate benefit.

Suwon City has distributed QR code payment kits that can link to overseas mobile payment platforms to 1,269 Zero Pay affiliate stores across the eight districts.

In March, Suwon City signed a business agreement with the Korea Easy Payment Promotion Agency, which operates the mobile simple payment service platform Zero Pay, to enhance payment convenience for foreign tourists. Zero Pay can be linked with global payment platforms, allowing foreign tourists to use the payment apps they are familiar with from their home countries at Zero Pay affiliate stores in Korea.

The Korea Easy Payment Promotion Agency is building out the Zero Pay infrastructure so that both domestic and international tourists can conveniently use mobile payments.

A Suwon City official stated, "In celebration of the Visit Suwon Year, we are working with the Korea Easy Payment Promotion Agency to establish QR code payment infrastructure and are running promotions with Alipay and WeChat Pay so that foreign tourists visiting Suwon can make payments easily. We hope this promotion, timed to coincide with the Chinese Golden Week holiday, will help boost sales for small business owners."