BEIJING, February 3, 2026 — Visa clients globally are gaining a significant new pathway for sending money to China, as the payment giant announced a deal to connect its Visa Direct network to UnionPay International’s MoneyExpress platform. This means over 95% of UnionPay debit cardholders in mainland China will soon be able to receive cross-border remittances and business payouts.
Expanding Financial Reach into the World’s Second-Largest Economy
The new partnership aims to streamline international money transfers to China, benefiting individuals and businesses alike.
- The agreement, announced Tuesday, is expected to launch during the first quarter of 2026.
- Visa Direct will enable money movement into mainland China through UnionPay’s MoneyExpress.
- The collaboration supports a wide range of use cases, from freelancer payouts to family remittances.
The connection between Visa Direct and UnionPay’s MoneyExpress will facilitate cross-border money movement into mainland China, according to the companies. This expansion is poised to simplify payments for a variety of transactions, including payouts to creators and freelancers, contractor disbursements, reimbursements, and family remittances.
“By expanding Visa Direct’s reach through UnionPay International, we’re shrinking the world again — not through tests or theory, but through real, critical infrastructure operating at massive scale, speed and reliability,” said Vira Platonova, global head of Visa Direct.
Larry Wang, CEO of UnionPay International, stated that the collaboration “will allow more overseas users to enjoy low-cost, high-efficiency, and trustworthy cross-border remittance services, while delivering business growth to partners at home and abroad and supporting the development of a broader, more efficient global cross-border remittance service ecosystem.”
Visa Direct Momentum Continues
This announcement comes on the heels of strong growth for Visa Direct. Visa reported January 29 that transactions through the service rose 23% year over year to 3.7 billion during its fiscal first quarter, encompassing both domestic and international flows. Revenue from Commercial and Money Movement Solutions grew 20% in constant dollars, bolstered by a 10% increase in commercial payments volume.
During an earnings call, Visa management highlighted Visa Direct as a key driver of future growth, alongside agentic commerce and B2B payment solutions.
What are the benefits of using Visa Direct for cross-border payments? Visa Direct offers speed, reliability, and scalability, making it an attractive option for businesses and individuals needing to send money internationally.
Recent integrations demonstrate Visa Direct’s expanding ecosystem. MassPay has integrated Visa Direct into its global payout orchestration platform to accelerate payouts to cards, bank accounts, and digital wallets. Lumanu has incorporated Visa Direct into its payments and compliance platform for the global creative economy, enabling real-time payments to creators and contractors in over 195 countries and territories. Additionally, Nuvei has integrated Visa Direct for Account into its global payments platform, allowing merchants to send funds directly to consumers’ and workers’ bank accounts in eligible countries.
