Shanghai issues prepaid travel cards to facilitate inbound tourists

Shanghai has released Shanghai Pass, a multipurpose prepaid travel card, to facilitate easy payment by inbound travelers and other visitors not in favor of mobile payment.

With a maximum balance of 1,000 yuan (about 140 U.S. dollars), Shanghai Pass can be applied at various scenes such as public transportation, cultural and tourism venues, and shopping malls, according to the Shanghai City Tour Card Development Co., Ltd., which issues the card.

The card can be purchased and recharged at the airports of Hongqiao and Pudong, and major subway stations such as the People's Square Station. The card can be used in buses, subways, taxis, ferries, and tourist attractions such as Shanghai Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Museum and Shanghai Wild Animal Park, the company said.

Cardholders can have the remaining balance refunded when they leave the city.

They can also use the card for public transportation in some other cities, including Beijing, Guangzhou, Xi'an, Qingdao, Chengdu, Sanya and Xiamen, the company said.

Chinese authorities have taken an array of measures to enhance the convenience of tourism for inbound visitors, as foreigners who primarily rely on bank cards and cash may find obstacles and challenges with cashless or non-card mobile payments, which is currently the predominant method of payment in China.

Shanghai received 1.27 million inbound tourists in the first quarter of this year, up 250 percent year on year, and is expected to receive about 5 million inbound tourists for the whole year, according to the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism.