UnionPay

The Chinese card network, the largest by volume globally, primarily because of its dominance in mainland China. European acquirers support UnionPay variably; merchants targeting Chinese cardholders typically need to add UnionPay separately to their acquirer agreement.

In practice.

UnionPay acceptance matters for merchants with Chinese customers, particularly in travel, luxury and education. It typically arrives through acceptance agreements your acquirer or PSP holds rather than direct membership. If the corridor is meaningful to you, confirm routing, pricing and settlement currency explicitly.

Related terms: Visa · Mastercard · JCB