How to set up WeChat Pay for your business?

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WeChat Pay is one of the most popular mobile payment platforms in China, with over 1.2 billion active users. It’s not only a great way to reach shoppers in China, but also an effective tool for attracting the growing number of Chinese tourists traveling abroad.

For businesses in Europe, adding WeChat Pay can upgrade the checkout experience, build trust with Chinese customers, and give you a real competitive edge.

In this article, we’ll break down what WeChat Pay is, walk you through the main ways to integrate it, and show how Silkpay can help businesses not only set up WeChat Pay but also other popular payment methods, so merchants can boost sales and expand their customer base.

The role of WeChat Pay for businesses

WeChat Pay is an integrated digital wallet and mobile payment service within WeChat, China's super app. 

Since its launch in 2013, it has grown into one of the world's leading mobile payment platforms, with over 1.2 billion users. 

Today, WeChat Pay is deeply woven into daily life in China. It’s used not only for online and offline shopping, but also for everyday needs like transportation, utility bills, and a wide range of lifestyle services.

How businesses benefit from WeChat Pay

Reach 1.2 billion Chinese consumers

WeChat Pay is one of the most preferred payment methods for Chinese consumers. Being able to pay with a familiar method gives them a strong sense of security and trust. 

This is especially true when traveling abroad, where Chinese tourists are far more likely to shop at stores that accept WeChat Pay.

Boost conversion 

Offering a familiar payment method can significantly reduce checkout barriers for Chinese customers, improve their shopping experience, and increase the likelihood of completing a purchase. In fact, 94% of Chinese tourists say they prefer to shop at stores that accept the mobile payment options they already know.

Encourage larger purchases

For many Chinese tourists, seeing the real-time exchange rate directly in their WeChat wallet makes spending more transparent and convenient. This means they don’t need to carry large amounts of local cash, making it easier and safer for them to make bigger purchases.

How to choose the right WeChat Pay integration method for your business?

When to choose a POS machine integration?

If you run a food and beverage establishment (restaurant, café…), a supermarket, convenience store, or a retail shop (such as a fashion, luxury or souvenir store),  integrating WeChat Pay via a POS machine is the most stable and reliable solution.

Silkpay’s PAX A920 Pro POS machine supports over 30 payment methods (Alipay+, WeChat Pay, Visa, Mastercard, etc.) and features wireless connectivity and portability, so you can accept payments anytime, anywhere.

Merchants can choose to rent or buy the POS machine based on their needs. This lets merchants deal with busy times and daily payments, and make the customer payment experience better while running the store more smoothly.

When to choose Mobile POS or aQR code integration?

Are you on a low budget? This solution is perfect for you.

For small supermarkets, micro-retailers, temporary sales locations, or other businesses looking for a simple and low-cost way to collect payments, integrating WeChat Pay via a mobile POS or QR code is an ideal choice.

• Mobile POS

  With mobile POS, merchants just need to register as a Silkpay merchant and install the Silkpay app on their smartphone to turn it into a payment device. 

  No additional hardware is needed. Additionally, with the Silkpay app, merchants can accept multiple payment methods including WeChat Pay and Alipay+, making it easy to collect payments from millions of clients, anywhere and at the lowest cost.

• QR code

  With QR code integration, after registering as a Silkpay merchant, merchants are provided with a QR code that they can display for their customers at the checkout. 

  Customers can scan the code with WeChat to complete the payment instantly, providing a fast, convenient, and budget-friendly payment option.

When to choose API or plugin integration?

For e-commerce site owners, Silkpay offers two options: API or plugins, to help merchants integrate WeChat Pay.

If you have your own cross-border e-commerce website or app and want to customize the payment process, API integration is the ideal choice. 

Silkpay’s API allows you to embed WeChat Pay and other payment methods directly into your platform, giving users a fast and native payment experience. Silkpay provides full support throughout the process.

For e-commerce merchants using platforms like WooCommerce or PrestaShop, Silkpay offers pre-built plugins to integrate WeChat Pay. 

These plugins can be easily installed and configured through the platform’s backend, enabling fast and secure payment functionality. 

Plugin integration greatly reduces technical barriers and setup time without requiring extensive development work.

Beyond WeChat Pay, what does Silkpay offer?

In addition to WeChat Pay, Silkpay can also provide merchants with more comprehensive support to establish a complete payment process:

Multiple payment options

Besides WeChat Pay, merchants need to offer customers more and wider payment choices. 

Silkpay allows merchants to accept payments from customers across different regions. With a single integration, merchants can support WeChat Pay, Alipay+ (covering Alipay and 30+ Asian wallets), UnionPay, Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and more.

Flexible payment channels

Merchants often need to collect payments remotely to expand their sales channels. With Silkpay’s PaybyLink, merchants can send payment requests via SMS, email, or social media. 

Customers can pay remotely using their preferred method, making both e-commerce and remote sales simple and convenient.

Reliable technical support

After integrating WeChat Pay, merchants may face issues in daily payments or staff may need some guidance to handle transactions smoothly. 

Silkpay provides professional technical support to ensure merchants can use WeChat Pay without problems. A dedicated team is always ready to respond and solve any issues quickly.

A dedicated backoffice

Collecting payments through multiple channels can make sales management complex. Silkpay provides a unified dashboard for merchants to manage multiple locations. 

Merchants can monitor sales, handle refunds, send payment links, and more, so daily operations can stay organized.

Conclusion

For merchants looking to attract Chinese customers and grow their business, offering WeChat Pay has become essential. By partnering with a payment provider like Silkpay, they can not only easily integrate WeChat Pay but also gain a comprehensive partner for payments and business growth.

Silkpay supports a variety of payment methods, enabling businesses to provide a smooth checkout experience for both Chinese and international customers. So businesses can maintain competitiveness and sustain business growth.

About the author: Silkpay

Based in Paris, Silkpay provides omnichannel and secure payment solutions to help physical stores and e-commerce in Europe and the Americas accept more than 30 of the world's most popular payment methods: Visa, Mastercard, CB, UnionPay, Alipay+, WeChat Pay as well as Asia-Pacific’s major e-wallets.

Silkpay is a winner of the LVMH Innovation Award. The company was also selected as a finalist for the "Money 20/20" Best Startup and in the "MPE Berlin” Startup Awards. Silkpay also won the "Best Fintech" awards from Capgemini and BPCE.

Silkpay helps merchants deliver the smoothest payment experience to their customers. We are a talented and international team driven by a single goal: to improve the customer experience and make payments simple and secure.