Tencent's Weixin Pay launches a campaign for foodies during the Singapore Food Festival to support local hawker heroes and expand their target segment to Weixin users

Singapore, 20 September 2022 - Weixin Pay, the mobile payment function of Tencent's popular social platform Weixin, has launched a campaign to help traveling in Singapore easier and more enjoyable with fewer payment concerns. The platform is available to nearly 10,000 hawker stalls in the country, a food market culture unique to Singapore's culture, allowing visitors to enjoy their traveling.

In 2020, hawker culture in Singapore was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and continues to be a defining feature of the nation’s culture and identity. During the Covid pandemic last year, government-led initiatives like the Hawkers Go Digital programme sought to help more than 10,000 stallholders - more than half of Singapore’s hawkers - sustain business through the adoption of the SGQR unified e-payment solution, including Weixin Pay. This has provided customers with a fast, cashless and contactless mobile payment experience while helping stall owners to improve operational efficiency.

“Since the COVID-19 outbreak, we have not been able to sell as much briyani as we used to. We started providing cashless payment options like Weixin Pay in hopes that we can reach a wider range of users. With a contactless payment method, it’s simply more convenient and safer for customers to make transactions,” said Seeni Ibrahim, Owner of Yakader Briyani Stall at Tekka Market during the ongoing Singapore Food Festival.

Recognized as the payment of choice for the Chinese community all around the world, Weixin Pay serves as the primary gateway for food enthusiasts and tourists alike to enjoy the vibrant hawker culture comprising Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian cuisines, and more. Hawkers can fully optimize Weixin’s expanding ecosystem accessible by billions of users to expand their outreach channels to boost revenues, launch loyalty programs and market their unique dishes through Weixin’s vibrant ecosystem consisting of Mini Programs, Video Accounts (Channels), Official Accounts, Chats, Groups, and many other functions. Weixin Pay is currently accessible in 68 countries and regions, and supports payments in 26 currencies globally.

“We support hawkers and small businesses to embrace digitalization and provide the global platform for them to introduce their varied cuisines that they’re proud of to Weixin users. Through the campaign, we hope to further support and encourage hawkers who have adopted e-payments to enjoy the full benefits of our large Weixin ecosystem and community. It has always been our goal to harness technology to fulfil our social responsibility, and embody Tencent’s ‘Tech for Good’ vision and mission through our local commitments,” said Freedom Li, President of Weixin Pay International Business.

In conjunction with the Singapore Food Festival which commenced on 24 August, Weixin Pay will provide greater value to food lovers by encouraging a huge volume of Weixin Pay users to actively support participating merchants including chain restaurants, Xiao Hong Shu and MICHELIN Bib Gourmand Singapore Recommended hawker stalls, through a promotional campaign. Promotions include:

• Users who make payments with Weixin Pay at three to eight participating hawkers can redeem e-cash vouchers worth RMB20 (SGD 4) to RMB50 (SGD 10).
• The e-vouchers can be used when paying for food at 107 hawker centres in Singapore by scanning the Weixin Pay QR code or SGQR.
• For more information, please refer to the Terms and Conditions under the campaign.