WeChat Hitches Ride on Guangzhou Metro

Tencent and Alibaba have been racing to get their rival mobile payment platforms installed in public transportation systems across China, from subways to public buses. Above, a passenger on the Shanghai maglev line uses her mobile phone to pay for her ride on Oct. 30. Photo: IC

Guangzhou Metro passengers can now pay for their rides with the WeChat messaging app, as Tencent Holdings Ltd. competes with its rival Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. to get on track in the public transportation sector.

Since last Thursday, commuters in the southern metropolis have been able to take the subway after allowing the turnstile to scan a QR code generated by a WeChat in-app mini program. The turnstiles can scan the codes within 0.3 seconds, Tencent said.

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Open WeChat and scan the QR code