UnionPay International (UPI) has announced major strides in creating a seamless payment environment across Europe, with services now available in over 90% of European countries and regions. This expansion ensures both local residents and international travelers enjoy secure, convenient payment options.
UnionPay’s footprint spans key payment scenarios: over 80% of merchants accept its cards at POS terminals, while 6 million+ merchants support UnionPay QuickPass contactless payments. QuickPass adoption has more than doubled in multiple European markets since 2025, showing growing user and merchant engagement.
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Major retailers and hospitality players have embraced UnionPay, including Galeries Lafayette (France), Harrods (UK), El Corte Inglés (Spain), and nine Value Retail premium outlets. Many also accept mobile payments. Dining from fine restaurants to fast-food chains and coffee shops and global hotel groups like Four Seasons, Shangri-La, and Park Hyatt now support UnionPay payments. Partnership with Dojo allows cardholders to pay at 110,000 UK merchants, mostly in hospitality.
UnionPay has also integrated with transportation and tourism, including urban and intercity transport systems, car rentals in Germany, Spain, and Italy, and top attractions like the London Eye, Disneyland Paris, and Barcelona’s Sagrada Família. Around 40,000 Selecta vending machines now accept UnionPay.
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Local card issuance strengthens its presence further: over 1 million cards have been issued across 13 countries, including Serbia, Italy, and Spain. Residents in Spain, France, Germany, and other EEA markets can apply for PecunPay UnionPay cards via the “Yi An” app, usable in 183 countries and compatible with Weixin Pay (WeChat Pay) and Alipay for QR transactions.
With China as a top destination for European tourists, UPI’s “Project Excellence” is enhancing inbound payment convenience. European visitors can enjoy UnionPay acceptance, tax refund services, and smooth transactions in gateway cities like Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Nanjing.
This robust infrastructure supports European residents’ daily and travel needs, while attracting global UnionPay cardholders including the growing number of Chinese tourists to European merchants. UnionPay continues to offer exclusive promotions with local merchants and Chinese issuers to boost spending.
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Globally, hundreds of millions of UnionPay cards have been issued across 83 countries and regions, strengthening cross-border travel and commerce worldwide.
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