Chinese mobile payments were nearly 50 times greater than those in the US last year, market data show, highlighting Chinese internet companies’ strong position in a market segment viewed as a gateway to the fintech ecosystem. 

The rise of Chinese mobile payments has been driven by the explosive growth of online shopping as well as internet financial services such as peer-to-peer lending and online money market funds. More than half of all mutual funds in China are now sold online, up from only 5 per cent in 2012.

Last year was also a turning point for the use of online payments at physical retailers, including supermarkets, restaurants and clothing shops. Starbucks announced in January that it would begin accepting WeChat Pay — the payments service linked to Tencent’s ubiquitous mobile messaging app — at its China stores. Growth was also robust in 2016 in online to offline services such as ride hailing and food delivery apps that customers pay for through via platforms.