WeChat Pay sizes up Oceania merchants to boost growth opportunities

WeChat's popularity is growing in Oceania, and the company says it will commit more resources to help business in Australia and New Zealand transform their businesses.

Last week the company held an online conference with its Australia and New Zealand business partners, in which it revealed that transactions across its WeChat Mini programs in ANZ rose 480% in 2020 - and the number of active Mini programs has also grown 180%.

WeChat Mini Programs offer instant access to enterprise services through a single app. It now has more than 400 million daily active users.

WeChat Pay now handles more than one billion daily transactions, particularly thanks to Chinese outbound tourism, study and work, offering cross-border payment services for  Chinese tourists, students and resident Chinese.

According to WeChat Pay regional managing director Monica Zheng, the surge in transactions reflects WeChat's ecosystem is generating traffic and helping merchants to achieve repeat purchases from their customers. Zheng says other benefits include cost reduction and operational efficiency improvements, particularly during COVID-19.

WeChat Pay's Green Ocean Plan also pledges to offer enhanced marketing support and subsidies for local partners in Oceania.

The plan includes marketing and onboarding support for local merchants, financial institutions and service vendors, including enhanced rights and interests' packages. Service vendors could earn technical service subsidies.

The company says that more product features, saleable categories, and traffic exposure will be offered to merchants of various sectors in Oceania.

"In 2021, we are committed to creating even more value for our partners with the Green Ocean Plan," says Zheng.
 
Lagardère, a French travel retail specialist serving over 25 million customers, accelerated digital transformation after COVID-19 with its deep integration into the WeChat ecosystem.

Lagardère chief digital officer and chief merchandise officer Chris Laverty says, "WeChat has  always been an important tool for us, however over the last year we have had to look at new ways to  reach customers who are no longer travelling."

"By working with the team at WeChat we have been able to find new ways to enhance cross border eCommerce, using tools such as their unique CRM platform and Mini Programs, and by live streaming  to a wider audience. We have been able to keep in touch with our current customers, but also find a  whole new market to speak to.

Businesses interested in the WeChat Mini program or Green Ocean Plan can contact their relevant WeChat Pay business development representatives.