The Commerce Bureau of Nanshan District in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, in collaboration with WeChat Pay HK, launched the 2026 Nanshan Inbound Consumption Voucher Campaign on March 24.

From April 1 to June 30, the first round of inbound consumption vouchers, totaling over HK$10 million ($1.28 million), will be rolled out, covering popular dining and retail outlets as well as the district's Coastal City shopping area, with discounts of up to 60 percent.

Recently, China's Ministry of Commerce, together with eight other government departments, issued a policy package outlining 16 measures across seven key areas. The initiative aims to improve the diversity, convenience and quality of services, build a globally attractive consumption environment, and further unlock inbound consumption potential.

Smoothing the final step of inbound consumption

As a core hub for technology and commerce in Shenzhen, Nanshan district is home to major commercial landmarks such as Coastal City, MixC World and OCT Harbour. With a wide range of popular dining venues, emerging consumer brands and lifestyle formats, it has become a top destination for inbound visitors.

The vouchers are tailored to Nanshan's consumption features and fall into four categories: dining, retail, designated merchants in Coastal City, and general-use vouchers for selected merchants across the district. They cater to diverse scenarios including leisure and family spending, with multiple denominations available. Offers range from HK$12 off HK$20 purchases to HK$480 off HK$800, alongside special deals such as HK$100 off HK$100.1 at designated merchants.

During the campaign, vouchers will be released daily at 10 am. Eligible WeChat Pay HK users who have completed real-name verification can access the campaign via the Mainland Travel page. Distribution will follow a first-come, first-served basis.

To improve the inbound travel experience, the campaign also partners with transportation platforms such as Trans-Island Chinalink and DiDi, offering a range of travel discounts to enhance overall convenience.

Greater convenience for smoother cross-border consumption

In recent years, Shenzhen has continued to improve cross-border consumption through expanded tax refund services and upgraded mobile payment systems.

On June 27, 2025, a departure tax refund service point was launched at Shenzhen Bay Port, marking the first land port tax refund facility in Nanshan district. It provides overseas travelers with an additional option for tax refunds and represents a key step in improving services and promoting international trade exchanges.

Mobile payment has also become increasingly seamless. “Issuing inbound consumption vouchers directly through overseas e-wallets is a leading innovation nationwide, marking another step forward in facilitating cross-border consumption between Shenzhen and Hong Kong,” said Hong Danyi, vice-president of Tencent Financial Technology.

Since January 2025, after linking personal merchant codes, all WeChat Pay merchants on the Chinese mainland have supported payments from Hong Kong users. Consumers can also use the in-app transit code to access public transportation in over 100 cities, Hong said.

The latest initiative is expected to further integrate cross-border digital payment scenarios, offering more convenient and cost-effective experiences for users while boosting commercial activity and festive consumption.

As of Dec 30, 2025, Shenzhen Bay Port handled over 50 million cross-border trips, up 27.7 percent year-on-year, a record high since its opening 18 years ago. During the Spring Festival holiday from Feb 15 to 23, items such as Chinese-brand smartphones, action cameras and jewelry became popular purchases among overseas visitors. Across six departure tax refund points including Shenzhen Bay Port, a total of 2,249 refund applications were processed, up sevenfold year-on-year, with total sales reaching 25.88 million yuan ($3.49 million), up 120 percent year-on-year.