The total value of non-cash payments made by foreign nationals in Shenzhen surged 35 per cent year on year in the first half of 2025, reaching 11.81 billion yuan across 85.88 million transactions, according to data released by the Shenzhen branches of the People’s Bank of China and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange.

Spending was concentrated in supermarkets and dining, with South Korea, the United States and Singapore accounting for nearly 30 per cent of inbound consumption.

The city has stepped up efforts to improve payment access for international visitors. In the first six months of the year, WeChat Pay recorded a 1.6-fold increase in foreign card transactions by volume and a 1.5-fold increase by value.

Bank account opening services for Hong Kong residents in Shenzhen have also expanded, with eight banks now offering proxy verification. As of June, Hong Kong residents had opened over 3.21 million mainland bank accounts in Shenzhen, including more than 410,000 via proxy, generating nearly 36.1 billion yuan in transactions—around 90 per cent of the total in the Greater Bay Area.