Hong Kong's GBA travellers seek seamless digital wallet payments

Nearly half of residents purchase half of their daily necessities across the border.

Nearly 7 in 10 (67%) of Hong Kong travellers heading north of Greater Bay Area (GBA) pick digital wallets as their ideal payment method, and nearly half (48%) of those heading south indicated the same, according to a survey by Visa.

Of 1,050 consumers travelling to and from Hong Kong, 68% of northbound travellers and 77% of southbound GBA travellers said that they would increase travel frequency if payment experiences were more seamless.

“As travel across the GBA becomes more frequent, there is a growing expectation that payments simply work, seamlessly, predictably, and consistently, wherever people go,” said Paulina Leong, general manager of Visa Hong Kong and Macau.

Nearly half (49%) of Hong Kong residents now consider travel to other parts of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) part of their weekly or monthly routine.

Meanwhile, 44% purchase at least half of their daily necessities across the border, Visa found.

The majority of travellers prefer transport options that allow them to pay exactly as they do in Hong Kong—77% of southbound travellers, and 64% of northbound travellers.

In selecting payment products, respondents want rewards and benefits (41%), seamless cross-border acceptance (39%), and competitive foreign exchange fees (36%), Visa said.

Meanwhile, across the Asia Pacific region, 33% of travellers surveyed cited payment security as a top concern, according to Visa’s 2026 Global Travel Intentions study.