Press release -
New mobile payment gateway WeChat Pay launched at Changi Airport
SINGAPORE, 12 July 2018 – Changi Airport Group (CAG) and WeChat Pay today announced a three-year marketing partnership, to launch and publicise joint shopping promotions at Changi Airport. This partnership will allow Changi Airport to better serve its passengers, by offering targeted and attractive promotions for WeChat Pay users.
WeChat Pay is an online payment platform integrated into the popular messaging platform WeChat, and a popular mode of payment for Chinese consumers. WeChat currently has more than a billion monthly active users, and this number is growing year-on-year. China is one of Changi Airport’s key passenger markets, with Chinese passengers accounting for about a third of Changi Airport’s total sales in 2017. The WeChat Pay platform will be able to provide added convenience for Chinese passengers when shopping and dining across Changi’s four terminals.
First airport in Southeast Asia to accept WeChat Pay airport-wide
With the launch, Changi Airport will be the first airport in Southeast Asia to launch WeChat Pay as a mobile payment platform on a large scale across its wide range of commercial offerings. Changi Airport will have the widest acceptance of WeChat Pay among all Asian airports, outside of China. Over 150 outlets – including Changi’s duty-free, luxury retail shops and online store iShopChangi, will accept WeChat Pay as a mode of payment.
To celebrate the introduction of the new payment platform, both parties have launched a shopping promotion where WeChat Pay users can enjoy discounts when shopping at Changi Airport, and on iShopChangi.
Mr Edwin Lim, General Manager of Changi Airport Group’s Advertising, Marketing and Promotions said, “We are pleased to be able to offer WeChat Pay as an additional payment platform for our passengers. This will provide an additional payment platform for our Chinese passengers, and will allow them to shop and dine with added convenience. Through this partnership, we will also be able to send targeted marketing messages to WeChat users. We will continue to explore other ways to offer customised services for our passengers, to ensure they have an unparalleled Changi Experience when travelling through Changi Airport.”
Ms Grace Yin, Operation Director of WeChat Pay said, “Singapore is an important part of the Belt and Road Initiative, and Changi Airport is the transportation hub of Singapore. Through this collaboration, WeChat Pay will provide a more convenient shopping experience to Chinese tourists in Changi Airport. We hope the collaboration will also provide fresh options and new perspectives to Changi Airport’s retail operations. We look forward to a long-lasting and stable partnership between WeChat Pay and Changi Airport.”
Changi Airport will work closely with WeChat Pay to roll out the payment platform to most of the airport’s merchants and brands by the end of this year.
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About Changi Airport Group
Changi Airport Group (Singapore) Pte Ltd (CAG) (www.changiairportgroup.com) was formed on 16 June 2009 and the corporatisation of Singapore Changi Airport (IATA: SIN, ICAO: WSSS) followed on 1 July 2009. As the company managing Changi Airport, CAG undertakes key functions focusing on airport operations and management, air hub development, commercial activities and airport emergency services. CAG also manages Seletar Airport (IATA: XSP, ICAO: WSSL) and through its subsidiary Changi Airports International, invests in and manages foreign airports.
Changi Airport is the world's sixth busiest airport for international traffic. It served a record 62.2 million passengers from around the globe and handled 2.13 million tonnes of airfreight throughput in 2017. More than 400 retail stores and 140 F&B outlets are situated across four terminals to cater to passengers and visitors. With over 100 airlines providing connectivity to 400 cities worldwide, Changi Airport handles about 7,200 flights every week, or about one every 80 seconds.
About WeChat Pay
The cross-border payment solution offered by WeChat Pay helps merchants across the world draw Chinese travellers into their shops and serve as a lasting link to its 800 million users. Chinese tourists can make payment to the merchants in Chinese yuan, while enabling the merchants to receive the payment in their local currency, saving them the trouble of exchanging currencies and saddling the shopper with a small-denomination banknotes and coins in an unfamiliar currency. Even after they leave the shop, shoppers can still get promotion and after sales service through WeChat.
Through serving Chinese outbound tourists, WeChat Pay has established partnerships with an ever-growing number of overseas merchants with the ability to handle transactions in 13 different currencies in over 40 countries and regions
