International visitors can now tap their bank cards to ride Shanghai's Maglev train thanks to a new pilot service launched by the city to accept foreign cards for ticket payments from June 14.

International travelers can now use their foreign bank cards or digital renminbi to pay for tickets for the Shanghai Maglev. [Photo/WeChat account: Shanghai Metro]

The Shanghai Maglev — the world's first commercial high-speed maglev line — links Pudong International Airport with the Longyang Road Metro Station in just eight minutes.

Now, travelers holding Visa, Mastercard, American Express and JCB cards are able to tap and pass through the Maglev gates without needing a local transit card or app.

In addition to most popular global bank bands, the new payments system also accepts various "hard wallets" that store the country's digital currency (e-CNY), such as mobile phones and wearable devices, enabling payments even when you're offline or without power.

The Shanghai Maglev is the world's first high-speed commercial magnetic levitation line. [Photo/IC]

Users must activate the "small amounts password-free payment" feature on their bank cards or devices storing digital yuan.

If the card has both UnionPay and a foreign payment brand, the gate will prioritize the UnionPay channel.

If riders have problems, they can use cash or other payment options such as the Metro Daduhui (大都会) app and local public transportation cards.

For inquiries about the payments service, one can dial 021-6437-0000 for the Shanghai Metro, 95516 for UnionPay and 956196 for the digital renminbi hotline.

The new payments service on the Shanghai Maglev is designed to make journeys easier for global travelers as China keeps opening its doors wider.

Thanks to its unilateral visa-free entry policy, ordinary passport holders from 47 countries can now enter and stay in China for up to 30 days for business, tourism, exchanges, transit, or visiting family or friends.

Meanwhile, citizens from 55 countries can enjoy a 240-hour visa-free transit journey in China.

Source: Shanghai Metro