Macao residents can now use their familiar MPay e-wallet to scan and ride on all public transport in Guangzhou. [Photo provided to China Daily]

MPay, Macao's most frequently used local electronic wallet, has become the second overseas e-wallet approved for use on public transportation in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, following Hong Kong's AlipayHK.

Since early April, Macao residents have been able to use MPay to access all public transportation routes in Guangzhou. The expansion allows residents from both of China's special administrative regions to travel more conveniently within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The service, a collaboration between Guangzhou Metro Group, MPay and Alipay+, is part of Ant Group's fintech offerings. Through Alipay+'s cross-border services, Macao residents can use MPay to scan and pay for rides across all public transportation in Guangzhou, including metro lines, buses and ferries. The service also extends to metro lines in Foshan, a city neighboring Guangzhou.

Guangzhou is the first city on the Chinese mainland to support full access for e-wallets from all parts of the Greater Bay Area, reinforcing the region's goal of seamless connectivity.

Currently, tourists from the Chinese mainland use Alipay when visiting Hong Kong and Macao, while visitors from those regions use AlipayHK and MPay, respectively, when traveling to the mainland.

With the new service, Macao residents can not only use MPay for cross-border transactions, but also for seamless travel on all Guangzhou public transportation routes, paying in Macao currency in real time. They will also receive the same discounts as local passengers under Guangzhou's public transportation fare policies, according to Guangzhou Metro Group.

"By integrating with the Guangzhou public transportation system, this not only sets a benchmark for cross-border commuting within the Greater Bay Area but also helps promote the deep integration of the 'one-hour living circle' within the region," said Sun Ho, chairman and CEO of Macau Pass, MPay's operating company.

Alipay+ has previously enabled AlipayHK to connect to public transportation in key Greater Bay Area cities, including Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Foshan.

Last year, Hong Kong users of AlipayHK recorded more than 10 million cross-border transportation trips heading northward, according to Alipay+ data.

"The high-frequency cross-border transportation services are a daily necessity for the interconnected life of residents in the Greater Bay Area," said Venetia Lee, Greater China general manager of Ant International.

Alipay+ plans to expand e-wallet integration in the Greater Bay Area beyond transportation, aiming to include services such as healthcare and government affairs, Lee said.

"Our goal is to provide more inclusive support for residents in cross-border travel, work, family visits and daily life, using innovative technology to enhance the region's digital ecosystem," she said.

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