Visa and UnionPay International announced at Web Summit Qatar on February 3, 2026 that they will link their respective cross-border payment networks to enable real-time money movement into mainland China. The agreement connects Visa Direct's global payout infrastructure with UnionPay International's MoneyExpress platform, creating a single technical connection through which sending institutions worldwide can reach the vast majority of debit cardholders in the Chinese mainland.
Once fully operational, the service will cover more than 95 percent of UnionPay International debit cardholders in mainland China. Availability is expected in the first half of 2026, with technical integration, regulatory coordination, and partner onboarding currently underway. The connection is designed to support real-time transfer speeds once the rollout is complete.
The corridor addresses a substantial market need. China remains one of the world's largest remittance destinations, and cross-border money movement into the mainland has historically required navigating a fragmented landscape of correspondent banking relationships and local payment rails. By establishing a direct link between two of the world's largest card networks' real-time payment capabilities, the partnership creates a streamlined path for inbound flows.
The connection will support a broad set of cross-border use cases beyond traditional remittances, including creator and freelancer payouts, contractor disbursements, insurance claim settlements, and corporate reimbursements. For payment service providers and fintechs building cross-border payout products, the single integration point significantly reduces the technical complexity of reaching Chinese recipients.
The partnership reflects a broader pattern of major card networks investing in real-time cross-border payout infrastructure. Visa Direct already operates across more than 190 countries and territories, and the addition of deep mainland China coverage through UnionPay closes one of the most significant remaining gaps in its global reach.