Visa and UnionPay International agreed to facilitate cross-border money transfers into mainland China via Visa Direct.
The companies announced the deal at Web Summit Qatar. The agreement connects Visa Direct's global network with UnionPay's MoneyExpress platform.
This enables remittances and business-to-consumer payouts to over 95% of UnionPay debit cardholders in the region.
The service is scheduled to become available in the first half of 2026. This step opens up one of the world's largest remittance corridors. The move supports the growth of Visa Direct by expanding value-added services into a critical global market, supporting use cases including creator payouts and family remittances.