Shanghai, China – Thunes and UnionPay International have expanded their payments partnership to support instant cross-border payouts to UnionPay cards in mainland China, with a daily limit of up to US$10,000 per recipient cardholder.
The service is available to financial institutions, payment service providers and money transfer operators using Thunes’ network. The companies said the connection provides access to UnionPay cardholders at 79 major Chinese banks, including Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China, Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Bank of Communications and China Merchants Bank.
Thunes said the service aims to address restrictions that have historically limited the size of cross-border remittances to mainland China, sometimes requiring senders to split larger transfers over several days or use manual processing.
Through the expanded connection, Thunes’ network members can send compliant transfers in real time, with the higher daily limit available for each recipient cardholder. The companies said the service is designed to support larger payments, including family remittances.
The connection links Thunes’ Direct Global Network with UnionPay International through a single application programming interface (API). Thunes said members can access the card network without separate setup costs, eligibility requirements or ongoing technical maintenance.
“Strengthening our strategic alignment with UnionPay International marks a major evolution in how money moves globally,” said Chloé Mayenobe, Deputy CEO at Thunes.
“By enabling high-capacity, direct-to-card payouts into China’s mainland, we are breaking down legacy barriers in one of the world’s most dynamic payment corridors. Unlocking these higher transaction limits supports the growth of our Members, empowering financial institutions everywhere to scale their cross-border flows into China with unmatched speed and compliance,” Mayenobe continued.
