About WeChat Pay & Alipay/ Merchant Accreditation
What is WeChat/WeChat Pay?
With over 1Billion active users, WeChat is the biggest social app in China. The WeChat app can be downloaded by anyone from App Store/Google Play.
We Chat Pay is a payment app embedded in WeChat that allows the user to pay for goods and services to merchants. In China, WeChat Pay users commonly use this to:
- Pay for online shopping
- Call and pay a cab
- Pay utility bills
- Pay for food delivery service
- Split the bill with friends
- Send red "angpao" envelopes
- Transfer money to friends
- Compare prices
- Schedule a doctor's visit
- and of course, to chat!
WeChat Pay is accepted in 28 countries for cross-border payments of Chinese tourists.
What is Alipay?
Alipay is the largest mobile payment platform in the world and is widely accepted in China. It is the financial distribution channel of Ant Financial offering financial services such as: payments, wealth management, financing, insurance and credit reference. With over 520M registered users, Alipay is accepted in 32 countries for cross-border payments of Chinese tourists.
How does WeChat Pay/Alipay work?
Only Chinese Nationals with Chinese National IDs and China-based account/s can use WeChat Pay/Alipay. To enable payments, the Chinese user must link his/her savings, current, prepaid or credit card accounts to the WeChat/Alipay e-wallet for a mobile-based payment of goods and services providing a seamless, secure and cashless transactions.
The mobile payment is based on a QR code technology. Both merchant and Alipay/WeChat users have their own QR code. When purchasing, the Alipay/WeChat Pay User can scan the QR code of the merchant or generate his/her QR Code from the e-wallet and be scanned by the merchant.
Can Filipinos use WeChat Pay/Alipay for payment transactions?
No. Only Chinese nationals with Chinese national I.D. and account based in China can link their account to Wechat Pay/Alipay for payment transactions.
Can WeChat Pay/Alipay users be able to transact in Malaysia?
Yes, Malaysia is one of the countries today where WeChat/Alipay is accepted. There are thousands of local merchant outlets in Malaysia accepting WeChat/Alipay. C-I-M-B is the first acquiring bank in Malaysia to launch China's 2 biggest mobile payments — WeChat/Alipay. As such, C-I-M-B is aggressively accrediting local merchants to enable them for payment acceptance of WeChat/Alipay transactions.
Can WeChat Pay Malaysian and Hong Kong Nationals use their WeChat Pay in the C-I-M-B PayMate Merchants?
No. Only Mainlaind China WeChat Pay users can use their WeChat Pay in C-I-M-B PayMate merchants.
How does C-I-M-B settle with its accredited Merchants for the goods sold to WeChat/Alipay users?
C-I-M-B settles with the merchant next banking day if they have an C-I-M-B deposit account.
How does the fund/settlement flow in a WeChat/Alipay transaction?
Every time WeChat/Alipay user purchases goods/services from an accredited merchant, the purchase amount is automatically debited from the Chinese's account by its bank in China. The bank in China then settles with WeChat. Then, WeChat settles with C-I-M-B. C-I-M-B guarantees settlement with the merchant the next banking day for merchant with C-I-M-B account.
In what currency will C-I-M-B settle with the merchant?
Can a local Merchant sell goods in or accept WeChat Pay/Alipay in RMB?
No, RMB is a regulated currency.
What currency is reflected when the WeChat Pay/Alipay user is transacting?
The local merchant will sell its goods in Malaysian Ringgits (RM). When a WeChat Pay/Alipay user scans the fixed QR code on display at the merchant, he/she will encode the Ringgit price. There is an automatic RMB conversion in the screen of the WeChat Pay/Alipay user at the end of the transaction.
Does C-I-M-B settle in US$ for merchants selling under this currency?
This feature will be available soon.
What are the benefits of accepting WeChat Pay/Alipay to a Merchant/Business?
- Allows the merchant to instantly build connection to the Chinese tourists as WeChat Pay and Alipay are big brands native to them.
- Allows the Merchant to provide a mobile payment convenience to the Chinese tourists.
- Generates incremental revenue for the merchant due to the influx of Chinese tourists in Malaysia.
- Since the Chinese tourist spend will no longer be limited to the amount of cash he/she carries, this presents another opportunity to generate additional revenue as an Alipay/WeChat user can spend as much as US$ 5,000 a day or more depending on the account linked to the WeChat/Alipay wallet
- Provides the merchant an opportunity to access the Mainland China market via an e-commerce site or via WeChat In-app.
- Provide real-time currency conversion for reference by the Chinese tourist.
- Level the playing field for small merchants as only a smart phone and internet connection are needed to use the C-I-M-B PayMate merchant acceptance app.
What are the benefit to the Chinese tourists in using their WeChat Pay/Alipay?
- A safer form of payment for the Chinese tourists asit removes the risk of carrying cash.
- Provides a more secure transaction as it provides real-time notification of the payment transaction status. WeChat Pay/Alipay user also encodes their PIN after scanning the QR code of the merchant and encoding the transaction amount.
- Provides convenience as it removes the hassle of looking for a money changer when they run out of Ringgit currency.
- As their China-based accounts are linked to their WeChat Pay/Alipay, Chinese tourists can spend a maximum of US$5,000/day providing a seamless shopping experience.
What is C-I-M-B PayMate App?
The C-I-M-B PayMate App is a mobile app that enables local merchants to accept payments from WeChat Pay/Alipay users. The app allows the merchant to accept payments using any of the following options:
- Encode the transaction amount and scan the WeChat Pay/Alipay user's QR code
- Encode the transaction amount and generate a transactional QR code for scanning by the WeChat Pay/Alipay user
- Generate a fixed QR code from the app and have this scanned by the WeChat Pay/Alipay user. The WeChat Pay/Alipay then needs to encode the Ringgit amount and PIN to proceed with the transaction.
- The merchant can also generate a fixed QR code and set an amount with it, if it wants to display a QR code with a selling price.
The C-I-M-B Paymate App also provides the following functionalities:
- Real-time payment transaction status notification
- Transaction details
- Transaction list
- Sales Summary for the day with option to print in a blue-tooth enabled printer
- Refund
- Cashier management
- Settings
- Voice broadcast
- Others
What is the C-I-M-B PayMate Merchant Platform?
The C-I-M-B Paymate Merchant platform is a web-based/URL portal provided to merchants who have an existing desktop in their establishment already and does not want to invest in a mobile phone. The platform performs both transactional and reportorial functions.
The platform can generate a fixed QR code and when printed, have this scanned by the WeChat Pay/Alipay user. The WeChat Pay/Alipay user then needs to encode the Ringgit amount and PIN to proceed with the transaction. The platform also has the following functionalities as the C-I-M-B Paymate App in terms of the ff:
- Real-time payment transaction status
- Transaction details
- Transaction list
- Sales Summary for the day with option to print in a blue-tooth enabled printer
- Refund
- User management
The platform also provides full reportorial functionalities such as Transaction breakdown per day, Settlement amount to the merchant . Reports can also be downloaded/saved.
How can a Merchant start accepting WeChat Pay/Alipay?
The Merchant must comply with C-I-M-B's accreditation document requirements, must open an C-I-M-B deposit account for next day settlement, must pass C-I-M-B's due diligence/evaluation, and merchant must not sell goods/offer services that are listed under WeChat Pay/Alipay prohibited transactions.
After C-I-M-B has evaluated that the merchant is qualified to become a WeChat Pay/Alipay merchant, the C-I-M-B Operations team will register the merchant details in its merchant system to generate the MID. The team will then reach out to the merchant for on-boarding and training. On-boarding involves determining what implementation type the merchant plans to adopt so that the relevant operations training can be given. During the training, merchant's cashiers will be trained on the C-I-M-B Paymate app and/or the C-I-M-B PayMate Merchant Platform, whichever is applicable. Training also includes include pilot transactions, refund and settlement. Training can be remote via telecon/video or face to face, depending on how small/big the merchant is or where it is located.
How can Wechat Pay/Alipay be integrated into the Merchant's e-commerce site?
C-I-M-B will provide an API to the Merchant.
How can Wechat Pay/Alipay be integrated into the Merchant's point of sale system?
C-I-M-B will provide an API to the Merchant.
What will be the cost to the Merchant to accept Wechat Pay/Alipay?
Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) for every transaction
Mobile device, desktop or tablet with a secured internet connection.
Does the merchant need to meet a minimum monthly transaction volume?
There is no required minimum transaction volume.
Can any type of merchant apply for a WeChat/Alipay payment acceptance?
No. There are merchants which belong to certain industries/merchant categories that fall under the prohibited transactions of WeChat Pay/Alipay.
What are the prohibited merchant transactions under Wechat Pay/Alipay?
Please see the list of prohibited transactions for Alipay and WeChat Pay, respectively.
Can a free-lancer/self-employed individual be accredited as an C-I-M-B Merchant?
Yes if C-I-M-B is able to evaluate that the free-lancer/self-employed individual is qualified to be a merchant.
Where can I see the end of day transaction report/s?
All end of day transaction report/s can be accessed via the C-I-M-B PayMate Web Platform.
Can I save a copy of the transaction report?
Yes. You can export report into CSV file
Is there a limit on the amount to be processed?
For the merchants, the amount has no limit. As for the Chinese customer, the transaction amount limit for the entire day is at US$5,000 or more depending on the account linked to the WeChat/Alipay wallet
Where can I view the amount settled by C-I-M-B for all the transactions made in our stores?
Report can be accessed in the "Settlement" module of the C-I-M-B PayMate Web Platform. To view Summary of Settlement Amount to merchant, Go to Settlement > Merchant Settlement > Select the date of transaction from the calendar > Search
How do I verify if the transaction/payment made by the Chinese customer is successful or not?
To check transaction in the C-I-M-B PayMate, Go to Statement tab. Successful transaction will have a successful status. To check transaction in the C-I-M-B Portal, Go to Transaction > Transaction List > A successful transaction will have a successful status
How can the Chinese customer verify if the payment made is successful or not?
Upon confirmation of the Chinese customer's payment password, he/she will receive a payment confirmation from his/her WeChat/Alipay app.
Can I view the summary of transactions with both WeChat Pay and Alipay included?
Yes. Go to C-I-M-B Portal click Transaction > Transaction list > Search
How does it distinguish if the payment method is through WeChat Pay & Alipay?
The system automatically detects on what payment method was used. The payment method will display WeChat or Alipay
Who do we contact in the event we encountered an error in our transaction?
Please call 8408-1000 or [email protected]
What if I encountered an error in my internet connection during the payment transaction with the Chinese customer?
You can go to "Statement", view the status of the transaction. If the transaction is unpaid, then you can cancel and repeat the transaction.
Can I view the currency exchange rate in the C-I-M-B PayMate app? Where can I view the exchange rate?
No. The amount encoded is in Ringgit, however, the Chinese customer can view the rate in RMB from their phones/screen upon scanning my transactional QR code image.
What if the Chinese customer encountered a problem while processing payment?
The Chinese customer may contact its bank or WeChat's or Alipay's customer service.
What if the Chinese customer entered the wrong transaction amount? Can I do refund?
Yes, you can conduct a refund up to 90 days from date of transaction
C-I-M-B Paymate can handle refund for transactions made within 24 hours. To do a refund, Go to Statement tab > choose the transaction to be refunded > click Refund button > Click confirm > Input the password. Go back to the Statement page to view the status of the refund
C-I-M-B Merchant Platform can handle refund up to 90 days. To do refund, go to Transaction > Click refund button > Input the amount or click full refund > Input reason for cancellation > OK
To do a successful refund for previous days transaction, total sales of the specific MID must be sufficient to cover the amount being refunded by your customer
Where can I view the status of all Transaction Refunds?
Thru C-I-M-B Paymate, Go to Statement tab
Thru C-I-M-B Portal, Go to Transactions
Is there a time limit to refund a transaction?
Requests for refund is at up to 90 days from the transaction was made.
Up to how many transactions can I refund in a day?
There is no limit on the number of refunds you can make in a day.
How do I create my cashier's profile to use the C-I-M-B PayMate app or C-I-M-B Merchant Platform to create users ?
To do cashier's access thru C-I-M-B PayMate app, user of MID should go to "Cashier Management" under Me tab, then click the "+" sign, then after supply all the information then click 'Confirm to add' to finish.
To do user access creation thru the C-I-M-B Merchant Platform, the Authorized User should go to System > Role Mgmt > Add > select Permissions to be linked to the role. To create a user, go to Systems> Use Mgmt > Add > Enter the name of the user > then click the role created for the user > Ok
What if my cashier resigns, how do I disable his/her user ID in the C-I-M-B Merchant Platform and C-I-M-B PayMate app?
To delete cashier in the C-I-M-B Paymate, Go to cashier Management > select the cashier> Delete
To delete user in C-I-M-B Portal, Go to System> User Mgmt > search the username/login name > select disable
If our store is already accepting WeChat Pay/Alipay transactions, will C-I-M-B still be requesting for additional requirements or documents?
C-I-M-B from time to time will request from you additional business documents and proof of transactions as part of WeChat's/Alipay's Risk Monitoring.
If I'm already an accredited merchant, can I add another outlet to use WeChat Pay/Alipay?
Yes, you can email C-I-M-B at [email protected] to request to add another outlet. Then, C-I-M-B will provide you with an application form. Send the accomplished application form back to [email protected]
Can C-I-M-B suspend a merchant and on what basis?
C-I-M-B can suspend a merchant to accept WeChat Pay & Alipay based on the following:
- Prohibited transactions
- Suspicious transactions as flagged by WeChat/Alipay
- Instruction to terminate by WeChat or Alipay
If we are accepting both WeChat Pay & Alipay, will I have 2 different QR code for each?
If you have both WeChat Pay & Alipay, you will have only 1 QR code image for both.
Do I need an internet connection every time I use the C-I-M-B PayMate App to process WeChat Pay or Alipay payments from Chinese customers?
Yes. A stable internet connection is needed to proceed with the payment processing.
Marketing/Promotions/Branding/Signages
How do I resize the QR code image to fit the Acrylic QR code holder material?
Upon printing the QR code image, please ensure to fit the size of WeChat Pay/Alipay acrylic holder window. See sample below for reference.
Please ensure that all 3 squares located at the corners of the QR image must be captured. See sample below:
Where am I supposed to place the QR Code holder with my store's QR image?
The QR code holder store signage is ideally displayed in the store's counter. We recommend that you place the store signage where the Chinese customer can easily see.
Can I create or customize my own signage material to promote my store accepting WeChat Pay & Alipay?
Yes. Given that you will coordinate with C-I-M-B WeChat Pay/Alipay marketing team to provide clearance on the use of the branding assets/logos before release or printing production.
How will my business be promoted to Chinese customers?
For WeChat Pay, the merchant will be promoted via the C-I-M-B WeChat Official Account where merchant name, address/location, logo of the merchants will be uploaded.
For Alipay, the merchant will be included in the Alipay Discover app wherein the store's name, location, distance, website, address, and geo-tagging are shown. Store pictures/menu/items sold can also be uploaded.
How will the WeChat/Alipay user know that my business is accepting WeChat Pay/Alipay?
C-I-M-B will provide the following standard in-store marketing signages:
- Door signage
- Tent Cards
- QR code holder tabletop display (where you can paste or display your store's QR image)
- Others that may be required
Ideally, these signage are displayed on glass window panels, door entrance, cashier's counters or any location in the store premises where Chinese customers can easily see.
C-I-M-B will provide the above-mentioned materials during the on boarding training sessions.