More than three million DBS PayLah! users in Singapore can now make QR payments at over 100 million merchants across mainland China through Alipay and Weixin Pay networks, expanding the bank’s cross-border payment coverage in the country, DBS said on Thursday.
The expanded connectivity allows users to pay at a wide range of merchants, from retailers such as Pop Mart and Songmont to neighborhood shops and restaurants, using their existing DBS PayLah! app, the bank said in a statement.
Payments can be made without additional transaction fees, with users able to view the amount in Chinese yuan (CNY), the applicable foreign exchange (FX) rate and the Singapore dollar equivalent before confirming transactions.
DBS said the expansion, alongside its existing UnionPay QR connectivity, makes it the first and only bank in Singapore to support QR payments across all three major QR payment ecosystems in China.
The development involves partnerships with Ant International, which operates Alipay+, and TenPay Global, which supports Weixin Pay.
Beyond China, DBS PayLah! users can also make QR payments at more than 70 million Alipay+ and UnionPay QR merchants worldwide. Alipay+ acceptance covers destinations including Australia, Hong Kong, South Korea, as well as markets in Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.
Calvin Ong, head of consumer banking group at DBS Singapore, said the expanded payment network would allow travellers to make payments across China using a familiar app, without requiring merchants to change their existing payment systems.
The move comes amid growing travel demand to China. According to China’s National Immigration Administration, foreign nationals made 11.6 million trips to the country between July and September 2026, an increase of 15.6 percent from a year earlier. Singapore was among the top 10 source countries for foreign visitor arrivals during the period.
DBS is also expanding its other payment options to cater to travellers who need to pay individuals, including tour guides and small businesses that use personal QR codes rather than merchant payment accounts.
Through DBS Remit, customers can transfer funds directly to their own Alipay or Weixin Pay accounts, which can then be used to make payments to individuals through personal QR codes.
DBS introduced remittances to Weixin Pay e-wallets registered with foreign passports in June 2026, following TenPay Global’s expansion of the service to users globally.
It said the service has gained traction in Singapore, with Singapore-based customers accounting for more than 60 percent of users. By end-September 2026, the total number of users had increased eightfold since its launch.
DBS PayLah!’s overseas QR payment network already covers markets including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Taiwan, in addition to its expanded connectivity through Alipay+ and UnionPay.