Shanghai Metro enables foreigners to use Mastercard in their mobile app

Photo courtesy of Shanghai Shentong Metro Group

Shanghai Shentong Metro Group and Mastercard have launched a card-on-file service for the Shanghai Metro App, which allows overseas travellers to use their Mastercard cards instead of buying tickets to access the metro system.

By filing their cards to the app, Mastercard cardholders can enjoy the same simple, safe and smart experiences — notably tap and go and post-payment — as Shanghai residents.

The service is already online, benefiting all cardholders with overseas-issued Mastercard cards. Also, Mastercard is looking at extending this to other scenarios including tourism, shopping and dining.

“Mastercard first entered the Chinese market three decades ago, and is glad to now have the chance to help Chinese tourism better align with international standards and is fully committed to playing an active role in China’s efforts to forge a global, interconnected payments ecosystem and enable Shanghai’s ambitions to achieve the titles of ‘Five International Centres’ (economy, finance, trade, shipping and T&I),” said Dennis Chang, division president of Mastercard in  China.

Shu Shizhong, resident of Mastercard partner Lakala Payment, said they expect to create a new metro experience in Shanghai for overseas travellers and build a new payments ecosystem for intelligent public transportation. 

“We will continually improve our technological innovation to better enable customers and realise ecological fusion through consolidation of various resources,” said Shu.

According to Mastercard, being involved in the construction of international and inclusive cities is an important part of its long-term strategy of effectively promoting wider coverage of digital payments and allowing consumers to enjoy safe, smart and simple payment experiences during their travels around the world. 

Over the past decade, by closely collaborating with city authorities, transport sectors and technology companies across the globe, Mastercard has actively devoted itself to designing flexible and innovative commuting solutions, achieving a leading position in next-generation mobile service trends.