One of China’s biggest social media and payment platform WeChat has begun enabling in-flight mobile payments.
Money is transacted via a post-landing settlement, leaving the users account automatically once the plane has landed and connection with the internet is established.
Users of WeChat Pay will only be able to access this service if they boast a credit score above 550.
First piloting of the mobile payment service took place for passengers on two flights carried by Spring Airlines on Wednesday 24 July.
WeChat will promote the new service across the civil aviation sector with the expectation to improve the in-flight shopping experience.
China is the world’s largest mobile payment service market and feature many pioneers that combine social media platforms with payments.
Data from the central bank of China showed that the number of mobile payment transactions surged by 79.6% year on year in the first quarter of 2019.
WeChat is also in the midst of extending its offering worldwide, with agreements already in place with Russian online payment system Yandex.Checkout.
