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Every Metro station turnstile in Shenzhen now accepts QR-code payment following a six-month upgrade.
Metro riders can pay their fares by scanning the WeChat QR code at the exit turnstiles. The Shenzhen Metro app, Shenzhen Metro e-commuting or Tencent mini-app WeChat Transport Code must first be downloaded in order to tie one’s WeChat account to the service and generate a ride code. After that, using the service is as simple as scanning the code at the entrance and paying the fare at the exit.
Sources from Shenzhen Metro Group showed that the number of daily QR users on its seven Metro lines had reached more than 1 million, accounting for 35 percent of the total users. The scanning service adds to the existing options for purchasing a Metro ride, such as buying a single-trip token or using a Shenzhentong card, a daily ticket or a timed ticket. The service has shortened the lines for buying tickets and adds convenience for tourists who don’t have Shenzhentong cards.
The number of users registered for QR payment has reached more than 10 million.
Shenzhen Metro Group started applying mobile payment to its ticketing system in 2015. In November 2017, bar-code scanning payment was introduced at ticketing machines at stations on Line 4 and Line 9, and was later expanded to Line 7, Line 2, Line 5, Line 1 and Line 3.
HKMTR Shenzhen Co. completed upgrading the last turnstile at Lianhua North Station on Sunday, joining the QR service network one month ahead of schedule. This October, the company put a Live+ WeChat app online providing services for commuters, such as a route map, service time and phone services. The app also introduces dining and entertainment venues along the route.