Banking institutions and commercial service enterprises in North China's Shanxi province have introduced a series of user-friendly measures this year to significantly improve the payment experience for elderly residents and foreign visitors.

In the first half of the year, 10,200 key businesses in the province achieved a 100 percent acceptance rate for foreign cards, with 7,098 ATMs now supporting foreign card cash withdrawals. The province has issued 475,200 "Small Change Wallets", and all bank branches now offer services tailored to the elderly, making payment experiences more convenient.

A bank staff member answers a customer's question. [Photo/Shanxi Economic Daily]

To enhance international payment services, the Shanxi Provincial Branch of the People's Bank of China formulated the Guidelines for Foreign Card Acceptance Business in Shanxi's International Payment Scenarios. These guidelines focus on eight key areas – dining, accommodation, transportation, tourism, shopping, entertainment, healthcare, and education.

By coordinating with the Culture and Tourism Department of Shanxi Province, the Department of Commerce of Shanxi Province, and the Department of Transportation of Shanxi Province, the bank has encouraged key businesses to enable foreign card acceptance, providing more convenient payment options for foreign tourists.

To advance elderly-friendly payment services, the Shanxi Provincial Branch of the People's Bank of China has directed commercial banks to improve facilities and upgrade product functions for elderly customers, offering more considerate and convenient payment services tailored to their needs.

To address the issue of small change, the bank has guided commercial banks to launch standardized and diversified RMB cash "Small Change Wallet" services. These services are integrated into key scenarios such as taxis and hospitals to ensure an adequate supply of small change.