From November 9 to 21, the 15th National Games were jointly held across Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau, with Shenzhen hosting the closing ceremony and 13 major events. The city faced a unique "test" during this period.

To enhance payment convenience for international visitors, the Shenzhen Branch of the People's Bank of China (PBOC) focused on key venues, improving foreign card acceptance, currency exchange, and cash withdrawal facilities at locations such as tax-free shops, star-rated hotels, cultural attractions, and transport hubs near competition venues.

**Promotional Campaigns Boost Consumption – Travel with the Games** Under PBOC Shenzhen’s guidance, UnionPay Shenzhen partnered with Bank of Communications Shenzhen to launch the first pilot of "Scene-Specific Consumer Credit (Cultural Tourism)"—a seamless integration of finance and tourism. Users can activate this credit line and directly spend their loan quota at UnionPay-affiliated merchants. Additionally, UnionPay Shenzhen introduced a "Travel with the Games" campaign, offering discounts across event tickets, hotels, dining, retail, and transport. Both domestic and international users enjoy instant discounts when paying with UnionPay cards, QR codes, or mobile Pay. For example, designated partner hotels offer 20% off (capped at RMB 30) for UnionPay card payments above RMB 200, while offline ticket purchases above RMB 30 receive a 20% discount (max RMB 20 off).

**Instant Tax Refunds** PBOC Shenzhen and the Shenzhen Tax Bureau pioneered services like "refunds to e-wallets (domestic/overseas)" and "cross-border refunds," enabling instant tax rebates. A Hong Kong visitor at Shenzhen MixC experienced this firsthand after buying a smartwatch—simply scanning an Alipay+ refund desk QR code credited her e-wallet immediately. "Refunds used to require forms and queues; now it’s as easy as sending a red envelope," she remarked.

**Shenzhen-Hong Kong Financial Integration** Ahead of the Games, financial connectivity between Shenzhen and Hong Kong deepened. Eight banks now offer remote account-opening services for Hong Kong residents, with nearly 400 partner branches enabling mainland account setup without leaving Hong Kong. Over 3.22 million accounts have been opened by Hong Kongers in Shenzhen, including 420,000 remotely, with cumulative transactions hitting RMB 39.3 billion—90% of the Greater Bay Area’s total. This seamless access supports both Games participation and tourism while fueling consumption.

**Bank-Specific Promotions** Multiple banks rolled out exclusive perks:

- **China Construction Bank (CCB)**: 1. Digital RMB red envelopes and payment discounts to boost cultural spending. Partnerships with retailers like E-Station and Meiyijia offer cashback. 2. Credit cardholders enjoy RMB 36 off ice world tickets (min. RMB 200 spend) via WeChat promotions (3,000 quotas/month). 3. "Cross-Boundary Wealth Management Connect" rewards for new sign-ups and asset growth.

- **Bank of China (BOC)**: Newly linked WeChat/Alipay users receive gifts. Monthly "Super Payment" lucky draws, random online discounts, and offline 50% off transport/skiing deals (up to RMB 300 off).

- **Postal Savings Bank of China (PSBC)**: New merchants support WeChat, Alipay, digital RMB, and UnionPay QR payments with 3-month fee waivers (capped at RMB 100,000/month). A dedicated Games support team prioritizes merchant services.

- **Dongguan Bank**: Debit/credit card users earn cashback for WeChat payments over RMB 5 (monthly tiered rewards).

- **Guangzhou Bank**: Credit cardholders get 50% off dining, random daily discounts, and cashback for Hong Kong/Macau spending.

- **Jiangsu Bank**: Mobile banking users receive RMB 10 phone bill coupons during the Games.

- **Pudong Development Bank (SPDB)**: Credit card "66 Lifestyle" offers discounts at Starbucks, Luckin Coffee, KFC, etc. Debit card WeChat discounts and an extra RMB 100 off for RMB 1,000+ spend (November only).