UnionPay and Thunes partners to enable cross-border payouts in China

Through the collaboration, Thunes enables financial institutions, payment service providers and money transfer operators to send instant consumer payouts directly to UnionPay cards issued by banks across China. The partnership supports payment corridors from markets including Africa, Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, Thailand and the United States.

The direct connection provides access to a large network of UnionPay cardholders across 79 Chinese banks, including Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), Agricultural Bank of China (ABC), Bank of China (BOC), China Construction Bank (CCB), Bank of Communications (BOCOM) and China Merchants Bank (CMB).

Chloé Mayenobe, Deputy CEO at Thunes, said, “Strengthening our strategic alignment with UnionPay International marks a major evolution in how money moves globally. By enabling high-capacity, direct-to-card payouts into China’s mainland, we are breaking down legacy barriers in one of the world’s most dynamic payment corridors. Unlocking these higher transaction limits supports the growth of our members, empowering financial institutions everywhere to scale their cross-border flows into China with unmatched speed and compliance.”

As part of the enhanced partnership, Thunes has integrated UnionPay International’s increased payment limits into its payout infrastructure. Network members can now process real-time transfers of up to $10,000 per recipient cardholder per day, enabling businesses and consumers to send larger-value payments through a compliant and streamlined process.

The company said the enhanced capability helps reduce operational friction and settlement delays while improving access to one of the world’s largest payment markets.

As an officially recognised strategic partner of UnionPay International, Thunes provides a compliant Pay-to-Card route into mainland China, helping clients reduce risks associated with system outages, unauthorised routing and service disruptions.

The collaboration connects Thunes’ Direct Global Network to UnionPay International through a single API integration, allowing members to access China’s card ecosystem without significant setup costs, complex eligibility requirements or ongoing technical maintenance.

The move reflects growing demand for faster and more efficient cross-border payment solutions as businesses and consumers increasingly seek seamless access to international payment networks.