Thunes, a Singapore-based fintech firm, has announced an alliance with WeChat Pay HK, the Hong Kong dollar denominated e-wallet, to power its expansion in cross-border money transfers.

Thanks to the collaboration, WeChat Pay HK users based in Hong Kong can now send money across the globe in real time and access faster, more affordable cross-border remittance options, enhancing the convenience of sending money abroad, Thunes said in a statement on Monday.

By leveraging Thunes’ Direct Global Network, WeChat Pay HK will benefit from Thunes’ solutions to support real-time outbound money transfers to billions of endpoints worldwide.

The new collaboration is the deepening of an established alliance between Thunes and Tencent, WeChat Pay HK’s parent company.

It is noted that members of the Thunes’ Direct Global Network have been able to send fast and easy international payments to users in the Chinese mainland since 2022 when Thunes became the first payment network partner to connect with Tencent Financial Technology, Tencent’s fintech arm.

Through Thunes’ extensive and proprietary Direct Global Network, WeChat Pay HK will offer customers real-time, dependable and affordable international money transfers around the world, including popular payment corridors such as South East Asia, Europe and Australia.

This directly benefits individuals such as expatriates who rely on sending money back home.

Indeed, research from Thunes in its 2025 Report: Money Without Borders underscores the critical role of speed in cross-border money transfers.

The study revealed that 65 percent of expatriates prioritize speed above all else when selecting a payment method.

According to Statista, in 2025, outbound money remittances from Hong Kong are projected to reach $1.1 billion, with an expected annual growth rate of 5 percent. They are expected to reach a total of $1.45 billion by 2030.

“We are thrilled to deepen our collaboration with WeChat Pay HK in enabling their users to send money across borders faster and more affordably,

“Together, we’re simplifying and streamlining the remittance process for millions of people, ensuring seamless, cost-effective cross-border transfers around the clock,” said Daphne Huang, Chief Government Affairs Officer at Thunes.

Chloe Mayenobe, President and Chief Operating Officer at Thunes, said the firm’s collaboration with WeChat Pay HK is another powerful example of how they are enabling seamless, instant, and affordable cross-border payments for a leading brand, connecting more people across markets and making global instant, dependable cross-border payments more accessible than ever.

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