How should European retailers choose an Asian payments provider?
asian-payments-for-european-retailers
There is no single payment method that fits every Asian shopper or every European checkout. Retailers should compare the wallets and card networks their customers use, then check that a provider supports those methods in the right countries and channels, with workable settlement, fees, support and compliance. Alipay, WeChat Pay and UnionPay solve different payment needs; a multi-method provider can connect several of them, but the exact coverage depends on the provider and the merchant setup.
Alipay is a mobile wallet associated with China. Alipay+ is a separate cross-border network that connects participating wallets to merchants through its partners. A provider that accepts Alipay does not automatically accept every wallet available through Alipay+; confirm the actual wallet list and markets.
WeChat Pay is a wallet inside the WeChat app. Depending on the provider and merchant approval, payments can run through in-store QR codes, online QR or mobile flows, and WeChat mini-programs. These are different integrations, not one universal checkout setting.
UnionPay is a card network, not a wallet equivalent to Alipay or WeChat Pay. A retailer may accept UnionPay cards through its card acquirer or payment provider, online or at a terminal, subject to country and channel coverage.
The provider is the company or platform that connects the retailer's checkout to one or more payment networks. Some providers focus on one method. Others combine wallets, card networks, payment processing and, in some cases, marketing or shopper services.
| Option | Best fit to investigate | What to verify before choosing |
|---|---|---|
| Alipay | A retailer whose target shoppers use the Alipay wallet, especially Chinese visitors. | Whether the offer is Alipay, Alipay+, or both; the markets and channels available; settlement currency and timing; refunds and fees. |
| Alipay+ | A retailer seeking access to participating wallets from more than one Asian market through a partner network. | Which partner wallets are included for the retailer's target customers; whether support covers in-store, online or both; the relevant merchant and country approvals. |
| WeChat Pay | A retailer whose customers use WeChat and may pay in-store, online or inside a WeChat experience. | The available QR, web, mobile, in-app and mini-program flows; any eligibility or compliance approval for each flow; who manages integration and support. |
| UnionPay | A retailer that wants to accept UnionPay debit or credit cards, in addition to or instead of mobile wallets. | Card acceptance for the retailer's countries and sales channels; terminal or online checkout requirements; settlement, refunds, disputes and fees. |
| Multi-method payment provider | A retailer that wants to connect several payment methods through one provider or integration. | The precise method-by-method coverage, supported channels, contract and settlement terms, hardware, implementation work and service responsibility. |
These categories overlap. For example, a payment provider may offer Alipay, WeChat Pay and UnionPay, while Alipay+ itself connects participating wallets through its network. Ask for a written list of the methods enabled for your own account, country, channel and terminal. A logo on a provider's general website is not confirmation that a specific flow is available to your store.
For physical retail, ask whether the provider supports your existing point-of-sale setup, a new terminal, customer-scanned QR codes, cashier-scanned QR codes, or a combination. Test the steps with store staff and confirm how the till receives the payment confirmation.
For e-commerce, check whether each method appears in the web checkout, mobile browser and native app where relevant. A desktop QR flow, a mobile redirect into a wallet app and an in-app payment are different experiences. The shopper should know how to return to the store's order confirmation after paying.
For WeChat mini-programs, confirm whether the provider offers the merchant integration and what account, technical and risk approvals are needed. The payment method alone does not build or operate the mini-program.
Provider documentation shows why this distinction matters: Adyen's WeChat Pay page describes separate QR, mobile, in-app and mini-program flows, and notes that some need additional approval. Its method pages also list country and channel availability separately. Check the provider's current documentation and your merchant proposal rather than assuming every method works everywhere.
Request a like-for-like proposal for each method and channel. Compare the transaction percentage, fixed processing fee, currency conversion or FX markup, terminal rental, setup or integration charges, refunds, chargebacks and any minimums. Ask whether displayed fees include scheme or wallet charges and whether pricing changes by market or sales channel.
Then compare what happens after payment: the settlement currency, payout schedule, reconciliation data, refund handling and the contact responsible for a failed or disputed transaction. Public provider pages do not necessarily show the commercial terms for your store. Get these details in writing before comparing total cost.
Accepting a wallet lets an eligible customer pay with it. It does not, by itself, guarantee that the retailer will appear in a wallet's discovery surfaces, receive a campaign placement, run a promotion or get customer data for marketing. Ask what is included in payment acceptance and what requires a separate service, approval or budget.
If attracting shoppers before they arrive is part of the brief, assess discovery and campaign capabilities separately from payment processing. STAMP describes its Drive to Store offer around presence and engagement in Chinese digital channels, while its Asian Payments page describes wallet acceptance across in-store and online surfaces. Treat those as distinct capabilities and confirm the proposed scope for your markets.
This is a comparison of published product information, not a ranking or a substitute for a merchant proposal. Each provider may have additional methods or conditions that are not listed on the pages checked. Confirm the exact account, country, channel and commercial terms before choosing.
| Provider example | What the pages reviewed publish | What to confirm for your store |
|---|---|---|
| STAMP | The Asian Payments page names Alipay+, WeChat Pay and Kakao Pay, plus 15+ additional Asian payment methods. It describes POS, QR, mini-program, web and in-app payments, and states euro payouts within 24 hours. | The full method list available to your account, country and checkout; integration requirements; settlement and fees. Its page does not name UnionPay specifically, so ask STAMP to confirm UnionPay in writing if you need it. |
| Silkpay | Its Alipay+, WeChat Pay and UnionPay pages describe wallet aggregation and separate WeChat Pay and UnionPay offers. The WeChat Pay page describes in-store, e-commerce and app use, with routes including POS, QR, API, PaybyLink and mini-programs. Its UnionPay page describes in-store and e-commerce acceptance. | Which methods, channels, devices and integrations are available to your business; fees, settlement, support and any approval conditions. The pages do not establish your specific merchant terms. |
| Adyen | Its Alipay, Alipay+, WeChat Pay and UnionPay pages list country and channel availability. The WeChat Pay page distinguishes QR, mobile, in-app and mini-program flows, and notes that some flows need additional approval. | Whether your account can enable each required method and flow in every target market; implementation requirements; the applicable fees, settlement and service terms. |
STAMP's broader offer may be relevant when a retailer also wants shopper acquisition through Chinese digital channels or Real Tax Free alongside payments. These are separate services, not automatic features of wallet acceptance. STAMP describes Real Tax Free for Spain, Italy and Portugal; tax-free eligibility and customs validation still follow each country's requirements. A retailer interested only in payment processing may prefer a provider focused on payment acceptance.
The right choice is the provider whose documented method coverage, checkout flows, settlement and support match the retailer's customers and operations. If visibility, marketing or Tax Free also matter, assess those as separate requirements and compare the complete scope, not a payment-method logo list.
Use this guide to shortlist providers, then request a written quote covering your target methods, countries, checkout channels, fees, settlement and support. Talk to STAMP about Asian Payments and any separate Drive to Store or Real Tax Free requirements.
