Tencent, the parent company of WeChat, plans to enable foreign users to link their credit or debit cards issued by major international operators, including Visa, starting from mid-to-late July. With international inbound travel gradually resuming, this move will eliminate the need for foreign users to navigate through the previously cumbersome registration process, which involved setting up a Chinese bank account or registering a local phone number. In the future, they will be able to pay for an increasing amount of services directly within WeChat.In an effort to enhance the experience for international travelers, WeChat Pay and Alipay - China’s leading mobile payment apps - have begun introducing new features that allow users to link the platforms with their international credit cards. Now through the Mini Program they can pay for all transportation within the Mini Program. The Whim integration has been developed especially to fit the needs of Chinese tourists exploring Helsinki.Ĭhinese are used to paying for the majority of their services with their WeChat Pay function. They can purchase all travel tickets and within the same Mini Program. Within the app, Chinese visitors are able to use Finnish born mobility-as-a-service app Whim for getting around Helsinki. The locals are the best marketers for their own city. Apart from coupons to local shops, no paid brand endorsements, partnerships or sponsored content are allowed. In keeping with the website’s service promise, “Your local guide to Helsinki,” the MyHelsinki Mini Program’s content has been compiled by locals. The content of the app is focused on purely local recommendations-the local community is at the core of the urban life in Helsinki. Paying is difficult for Chinese as they are used to mobile payments.It’s hard to get accurate and relevant information about local sights and activities.Using public transportation in Helsinki is challenging.The research uncovered three major challenges for Chinese travelers visiting Helsinki: The Cultural Probe allowed us to have more meaningful conversations about their visit to Helsinki. They also took photos of their visit with the camera.Ī few days later we asked the participants to walk through their journey in Helsinki. We asked the participants to show on the map positive and negative experiences in the city using stickers. The Probe included a map of the city and a polaroid camera. To get deeper insights on their experience in Helsinki, we also created a “Cultural Probe” for Chinese tourists to document their time in the city. First, we interviewed Chinese tourists to uncover their biggest pain points and needs when visiting Helsinki. We began with research to understand what is essential for Chinese visitors in Helsinki. Gaining empathy for Chinese visitors in Helsinki We then embarked on a fascinating design journey. In late 2017, the City of Helsinki and Tencent approached the team to create a custom My Helsinki Mini Program to make life easier for Chinese visitors in Helsinki. When they visit Helsinki, they are expecting the same mobile conveniences as at home. The number of registered overnight stays by Chinese travelers in Helsinki has more than doubled in the past five years. Helsinki has become increasingly popular among Chinese tourists in recent years. They provide users with quick access to services such as e-commerce, task management, coupons etc. WeChat Mini Programs are “sub-applications” within the WeChat ecosystem. Tencent, the company behind WeChat, is the 5th most valuable company globally. With over 1 billion active monthly users, it’s one of the biggest online services in the world. If you want to do anything in China, you can probably do it on the WeChat platform. Shopping, transportation, messaging, health care, payments, bicycles-you name it.
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