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Hong Kong residents boost offline and online spending in mainland China
UnionPay International data shows Hong Kongers’ offline UnionPay card spending in the mainland rose nearly 30% year on year in the first half of 2026, and the firm is linking shoppers to trade-in subsidies of up to 20,000 yuan.
Hong Kong consumers are spending more across the border in mainland China, driven by price differences and broader use of digital payments, according to data released by payment firm UnionPay International, cited by SCMP Economy.
UnionPay said offline UnionPay card spending in mainland China by Hong Kong residents increased nearly 30% year on year in the first half of 2026, while online and digital transactions grew even faster.
SCMP Economy reported that UnionPay is also stepping up efforts to capture cross-border demand by announcing an arrangement that lets Hong Kong residents access China’s national consumer goods trade-in subsidy programme.
Under the arrangement, shoppers travelling to the mainland can receive government subsidies of up to 20,000 yuan, UnionPay said, without needing to open a mainland bank account or obtain a mainland mobile phone number.