Traveling between Laos and China is now easier with a QR payment system that enables tourists to make cashless transactions. Chinese visitors can already use QR codes, with plans for Laotian travelers to follow.
On 19 December, the Lao National Payment Network Company Limited (LAPNet) and China’s UnionPay International (UPI) signed an agreement in Shanghai to introduce a QR code-based system connecting the two countries’ payment networks.
The initiative allows payments between LAPNet and UPI members via the UnionPay mobile app, which supports over 160 e-wallets in 37 countries.
Under the system, UnionPay users can pay at merchants linked to eight LAPNet member banks, including Banque Pour Le Commerce Exterieur Lao Public (BCEL), Joint Development Bank (JDB), and Agricultural Promotion Bank (APB).
The first phase, China Scan Laos, is now active, allowing Chinese tourists to use the system in Laos. The second phase, Laos Scan China, will soon let Lao travelers enjoy the same convenience in China, though the exact start date is yet to be announced.
China is now the fourth country to launch a cross-border payment system with Laos, following similar initiatives with Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia.
