Tencent has launched a new payments app targeting foreign visitors to China, as the country’s largest tech group seeks to capture spending from the growing wave of “China-maxxing” tourists. The Chinese tech group on Thursday rolled out Ten Pay Go, an app that allows overseas visitors to pay at tens of millions of restaurants and shops through Tencent’s payments network using Visa, Mastercard and Apple Pay. Ten Pay Go will compete with Ant Group’s Alipay, which has established itself as the main payments platform for foreign visitors navigating China’s largely cashless economy.

China has recorded an increase in international tourism this year after expanding visa-free entry to citizens of dozens of countries including the UK, France and Spain. Foreign nationals made 22.9mn inbound trips in the first half of the year, up 20 per cent from the same period in 2025, according to government data. Tencent’s app will also let visitors order food deliveries and book ride-hailing services.

It also includes tools for identifying objects and translating menus, in an effort to help tourists navigate China’s sprawling ecosystem of digital services.