utu and Weixin Pay announce partnership with launch at Milan airports
The Milan launch marks the beginning of a growing partnership between utu and Weixin Pay.
SINGAPORE, April 29, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- utu, the travel fintech company, has announced a partnership with Weixin Pay, known to global users as WeChat Pay, to enhance the travel experience for Chinese travellers. Starting 1 May 2026, at Milan Malpensa and Milan Linate airports, travellers can now scan a dedicated Weixin Pay QR code in-store to claim an exclusive coupon issued by Weixin Pay for utu. This coupon unlocks exclusive promotional offers for Weixin Pay users on the utu platform.
Weixin Pay users travelling in Italy have been able to access utu's services for some time. Today's launch marks an upgrade to a full marketing partnership, introducing exclusive promotional offers for Weixin Pay users at Milan's airports.
At participating locations, travellers simply scan the dedicated Weixin Pay QR code in-store, claim their exclusive coupon, and are then directed to the utu web app to convert their VAT refund into a utu Tourist Privilege. The utu Tourist Privilege upsizes the VAT refund that Weixin Pay users have already processed at the airport, providing them with extra value to spend at duty-free retail.
To mark the launch, Weixin Pay and utu are offering two promotional offers for users travelling through Milan:
• Preferential Exchange Rate (24 April – December 2026): Users who activate a utu Tourist Privilege via Weixin Pay will receive a preferential exchange rate, available once per user per month.
• Spend & Save (1 – 30 May 2026): Users converting VAT refunds of over RMB 600 in a single utu transaction will receive an instant RMB 50 discount, available once per user during the campaign period.
The Milan launch marks the beginning of a growing marketing partnership between utu and Weixin Pay, with both parties looking to explore further collaboration across additional regions and retail environments.
Ameer Jumabhoy, Co-Founder of utu, says: "Weixin Pay users have already been discovering utu on their travels, and that gave us a strong foundation to build on. This initiative takes the experience to a different level - it's native, it's fast, and it's where our users already are. Milan is the right place to start, and we're excited to roll this out together."
Queena Liu, General Manager, Italy, Weixin Pay Global, adds: "Today's Chinese travellers expect a seamless, premium retail experience when visiting Europe. Our partnership with utu directly answers this by transforming standard VAT refunds into immediate, enhanced purchasing power. We are thrilled to launch this initiative in Milan, a global fashion capital, ensuring our users receive maximised, tangible value exactly when and where they want to shop."
About Weixin Pay
Weixin Pay, a leading mobile payment platform under Tencent, is widely used by hundreds of millions of users in China and internationally, offering seamless cashless payment solutions across retail, dining, transportation and tourism-related services. Its extensive digital ecosystem enables destinations to connect with Chinese travellers throughout their travel journey, from trip planning and payments to on-ground spending, making it a strategic platform for enhancing travel convenience and destination engagement.
About utu
utu is a Singapore-based travel fintech company that converts VAT refund value into higher-value utu Tourist Privileges, redeemable at airport duty-free and downtown partner stores. Operating across airside and downtown retail environments, utu creates a new spending moment for travellers while driving incremental sales for merchants. Learn more at utu.global.
Aishwarya Ranjith
utu
aishwarya.ranjith@utu.global
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