Frankfurt, 11 September 2018. With immediate effect, passengers at Frankfurt Airport can now pay at around 100 tills in all 28 Frankfurt Airport Retail (FAR) shops using their mobiles and the two largest Chinese mobile pay apps Alipay and WeChat Pay. FAR is offering young and discerning Chinese customers in particular the perfect shopping experience using the mobile payment methods. For affluent Chinese tourists with an affinity for mobile payment it is of great advantage to be able to make use of their preferred mobile payment solutions, which they already use at home, without any currency exchange.
"The mobile payment methods of Alipay and WeChat Pay available at Frankfurt Airport make us even more attractive to the Chinese travellers, a very important target group for us. In addition to this, the platforms are opening up completely new possibilities for addressing customers directly and for advertising attractive purchasing incentives in the form of discounts and extra benefits," says Georg Fuhrmann, Managing Director of FAR.
Simple and efficient
Both mobile apps allow customers to carry out online payments easily and efficiently. To do this, they simply have to scan the QR code provided using the corresponding app and enter the payment amount. WeChat Pay is provided by the social platform WeChat which, apart from payments, is used for communication, entertainment and the exchange of information.
Previously, Chinese customers generally used China Union Pay credit cards in FAR shops. Together with the two new apps, FAR is now covering the three most important payment methods in China.
Duty Free Shopping popular with Chinese travellers
For many Chinese tourists and business travellers, purchasing high quality international branded goods is an integral part of their stay in Europe. The shops at Frankfurt Airport are therefore a popular destination for Chinese travellers. As well as boutiques with fashion and accessories from luxury designers, the Heinemann Duty Free & Travel Value shops offer "Travel Retail Exclusives" – usually spirits, perfume and cosmetics or confectionery in special sizes or sets, which are only available to buy at the airport – providing added value. For anyone looking for a particularly good bargain, there is also an extensive range with many attractively priced offers. Chinese travellers are increasingly also buying regional products and local specialities.
Major potential for other locations
FAR uses the app from payment service provider Wirecard to integrate Alipay and WeChat Pay into its till system. The introduction of the leading mobile payment applications into the FAR shops is especially attractive for customers from China. According to Wirecard, more than one billion people are now using the two mobile applications. Due to the major influence of the Chinese tourism market, the acceptance of the two payment apps is also growing globally at rapid speed.
After the successful start at Frankfurt Airport, the mobile payment app solution in the Heinemann Shops is to be introduced to another twelve European airports and then globally.
Media contact:
Gebr. Heinemann
Julia Knors / Corporate Communications Manager
Telephone: +49 40 3010 21 86
Fraport
Angelika Heinbuch / Corporate Communications
Telephone: +49 69 690 28417
