Growing China–Europe travel is reshaping payments: PAIO helps European merchants meet rising UnionPay demand

As travel and commerce between China and Europe continue to accelerate, European businesses are facing growing demand for payment methods familiar to customers.

LONDON, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, August 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As travel and commerce between China and Europe continue to accelerate, European businesses are facing growing demand for payment methods familiar to international customers. PAIO is helping merchants respond to this shift by providing UnionPay International acquiring, enabling businesses to accept UnionPay payments online and expand their reach to one of the world's largest cardholder networks.

Europe welcomed close to 10 million Chinese travellers in 2025, while research published in early 2026 indicated that 59% of surveyed Chinese travellers were planning to visit Europe this year. Chinese travellers also remain a high-value segment for the European tourism economy, with more than half expecting to spend between €100 and €200 per day while travelling.

At the same time, UnionPay continues to strengthen its European footprint. UnionPay services are now available across more than 90% of European countries and regions, while more than 80% of merchants accept UnionPay cards at POS terminals. More than six million merchants support UnionPay QuickPass contactless payments, covering sectors including hospitality, retail, transportation, supermarkets and tourism.

The growth is increasingly visible in transaction behaviour: UnionPay reported that QuickPass transactions have more than doubled across several European markets since 2025.

For European merchants, these developments highlight a broader change in payments. PAIO provides UnionPay International acquiring to help European merchants address this demand. Through PAIO, businesses can accept UnionPay card payments online and in-store, connecting them to cardholders across more than 180 countries and regions.

“The growth of travel and commerce between Europe and Asia creates a clear opportunity for European businesses, but payments need to keep pace with how international customers prefer to pay,” said Yuliia Nikulina, Director at PAIO. “For merchants, adding UnionPay is not simply about introducing another payment method. It is about removing friction for customers and making their businesses more accessible to a major global consumer base.”

PAIO's UnionPay acquiring capability is powered by DECTA's payment processing and gateway infrastructure, providing merchants with secure and scalable transaction processing.

Alongside UnionPay, the company also provides BLIK, one of Poland’s most widely used mobile payment solutions, enabling fast and convenient payments directly through customers’ banking apps. Together, solutions such as UnionPay and BLIK allow merchants to serve both international and local customers with payment methods they already know and trust.

About PAIO
PAIO is a UK-based payment provider and a brand of Finthesis Ltd, an FCA-authorised payment institution. The company provides payment solutions for businesses, including card.

Yuliia Nikulina
PAIO
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