Starting October 12, Guangzhou Metro has launched contactless tap-to-ride payments using bank cards from four major international card networks. Supported cards include overseas-issued Mastercard, American Express, Visa, and JCB cards, as well as domestically issued Mastercard and American Express cards that support RMB transactions. All cards must have contactless payment capability.

Following a system upgrade, Guangzhou Metro has integrated international card network support with the existing China UnionPay system. This new feature, introduced just ahead of the 138th Canton Fair, caters to global visitors and meets their diverse payment needs. With this upgrade, Guangzhou Metro now supports all five major card networks—UnionPay, Mastercard, Visa, JCB, and American Express—across all stations.

Passengers can travel easily without purchasing tickets or downloading apps; they simply need to tap their card on the gate's card logo area to enter.

Additionally, Guangzhou Metro convenience stores are upgrading their payment systems and are expected to fully support all five major card networks by the end of October.