UnionPay is the world's largest card network by cards issued (over 7 billion) and the default payment card for Chinese consumers. Where WeChat Pay captures Chinese mobile wallet spend, UnionPay captures Chinese card spend, but goes further in Singapore, Malaysia, and more.

For any merchant targeting Chinese shoppers domestically or internationally, the two are complementary rather than competing.

Acceptance spans 125+ markets across Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and North America, with broad currency settlement support including CNY, HKD, SGD, AUD, GBP, EUR, and USD. Processing covers all supported currencies, giving merchants flexibility across regions without additional currency configuration.

Three acceptance modes are available depending on your risk and UX requirements: ExpressPay (faster checkout), SecurePay (standard authentication), and SecurePlus (enhanced security). Online, in-person, and in-app channels are all supported.

Operationally, UnionPay behaves like a standard card integration with partial refunds, multiple partial captures, and recurring payments are supported. Settlement lands in 5 days.

If you're already accepting Visa and Mastercard, UnionPay is the natural third addition for any market where Chinese consumer spend is meaningful.