Tencent presented its latest advancements in digital payments and technology at the Singapore FinTech Festival (SFF) 2025, focusing on creating a seamless and secure experience for users and businesses across borders. The company emphasized the integration of interoperable payment systems, intelligent digital services, and cloud-powered AI solutions as part of its broader strategy to enhance global digital finance.
Forest Lin, Corporate Vice President and Head of Tencent Financial Technology, spoke during the event’s keynote panel “Building an Intelligent Financial Stack.” He explained how Tencent is developing tools that help small merchants use AI for menu scanning and QR code ordering to improve efficiency. Lin also described Tencent’s efforts in fraud prevention through multiple machine learning models on Weixin Pay. “Every day, we’re looking for use cases that could improve our users’ lives,” said Lin. He noted Tencent’s proactive development of a “world model” for payment systems to stay ahead in the fight against fraud.
At the festival, Tencent demonstrated its technologies at its booth with hands-on experiences featuring products such as Tencent Palm, Weixin Pay, TenPay Global, and integrations with local businesses via Weixin Mini Programs. The event marked SFF’s 10th anniversary edition.
Daniel Hong, Vice President of Tencent Financial Technology, participated in a panel on payment interoperability. He discussed how artificial intelligence can both bridge gaps between different payment systems and introduce new challenges. “AI can improve current interoperability, acting as a translator and bridge between different systems; however, it may also create new fragmentation problems and challenges, which deserve advance consideration from all parties,” Hong said. He encouraged industry-wide collaboration toward interoperability-by-design in AI payments.
Tencent announced several initiatives at SFF 2025:
– TenPay Global joined China’s Cross-Border Interconnection Payment Gateway (CPG) alongside Weixin Pay. This network now connects with over 40 wallets in more than 10 countries and regions through partnerships with organizations such as DBS Bank, GrabPay, ShopeePay, Starryblu, Bank of China, and EVONET GLOBAL in Singapore.
– TenPay Global Checkout was introduced to help Weixin Mini Program merchants accept various local payment methods internationally.
– A partnership with Western Union was launched with a co-branded flagship store in Singapore’s Chinatown to enable omni-channel remittance experiences using Mini Programs within the Weixin ecosystem.
The booth featured demonstrations of Tencent Palm’s latest O4 recognition module and PCI-certified PalmDa POS terminal. These technologies are already operational at locations like Resorts World Sentosa’s Adventure Cove and Singapore Institute of Technology campuses.
Visitors could also explore Chinese culture through experiences powered by Weixin Pay and TenPay Global by linking their cards or using home wallets while traveling in China. New integrations with SGQR+ (Singapore), DuitNow QR (Malaysia), and PromptPay (Thailand) allow local merchants to accept payments from Chinese travelers directly.
Etienne Ng, Country Manager for Singapore & Regional Director for Southeast Asia at Weixin Pay, highlighted these developments: “Tencent’s Palm Solutions show how innovation can make payments faster, safer, and more intuitive. We’re excited to bring Tencent’s next-generation technologies to Singapore to enhance everyday transactions for both users and merchants alike.”
Powell Li, Vice President and Head of Tencent Cloud Computing Products at Tencent Cloud, contributed insights during a panel about scaling AI across fintech sectors in China. He stated: “Scaling AI in financial services demands a strong ecosystem and robust infrastructure. At Tencent Cloud, we are focused on helping partners across the region harness AI safely and effectively, ensuring they can build agile, intelligent, and resilient systems that put their end users first.”
Tencent used its media technology to power real-time livestreams of SFF events globally with low latency.
Overall, Tencent’s participation at SFF 2025 highlighted its commitment to building trusted interoperable technologies aimed at making cross-border digital finance simpler for all participants.
