Paying with digital wallets has become a second nature for Chinese people. They use apps like Alipay and WeChat Pay at home, but also while living abroad or travelling around the world. With over a billion users, Alipay and WeChat Pay are impossible to ignore for any business looking to succeed in the Chinese consumer market. Here are the four things you need to put in place if you want Chinese consumers to buy from you.
Integrated mobile payment system: Accepting prominent Chinese mobile payment solutions is a mandatory first step, but you also need the right tools to do it properly. You’ll need to incorporate a smart payment device, a barcode scanner and a smart scanner into your existing POS system, to be able to scan customers’ QR codes and process payments. This should be complemented with online QR code integration, allowing customers to scan a code generated on your website or ecommerce store. This infrastructure will ensure fast, secure and seamless mobile payments, and will create the ideal conditions for Chinese customers to spend in your physical or online store.
Visibility: Chinese consumers need to feel welcomed. They won’t ask if you’re accepting mobile payments, and will assume that you don’t if they can’t see it. Therefore, good in-store and online branding is key. Alipay and WeChat Pay logos need to be at the front of your store—visible from outside and at each payment area—and strategically placed on your website or ecommerce store.
Social media advertising: When it comes to attracting more Chinese customers, creating awareness and a lasting brand presence is really what will set you up for success. This can be achieved through the myriad of digital marketing and social media advertising programs offered to merchants by Alipay and WeChat. WeChat Official Accounts, WeChat Moments, Alipay Discovery, digital gift cards, and loyalty and coupon mini programs, are all examples of initiatives that you can develop to reach Chinese customers. These advertising initiatives also provide your business with real strategic advantage, as they aggregate powerful data about your customers—who they are, where they are, when and how they like to spend—ensuring that Chinese customers stay committed to your brand and continue buying from you.
Employee Training: Last but not least… train your sales teams. Sales associates are the customers’ first point of contact and they act as brand ambassadors. Make sure they understand how mobile payments work, so they can actively promote it to Chinese customers.
China is Canada’s third-largest overseas market for tourists, with Chinese visitors contributing over $1 billion annually to Canada’s economy. And with 150K international Chinese students and a growing number of new immigrants from China every year, it’s a lucrative market that your business could tap into.
OTT Pay knows how to leverage everything mobile payments have to offer. Combining the advantages of our innovative and unique payment ecosystem with years of experience connecting Canadian merchants with Chinese consumers, we can help your business increase sales and achieve growth in the Chinese consumer market. Give us a call at (+1) 800-688-9838 or email us at info@ottpay.com to get started.