PayPal enters digital payments market in China with GoPay acquisition

This will allow PayPal to become one of the first international companies to gain a payments licence in China.

PayPal, through one of its local China-based subsidiaries called Yinbaobao, will acquire a 70% stake in GoPay, according to a statement on GoPay’s website. The deal is expected to close in Q4 2019.

GoPay, officially known as Guofubao Information Technology Co., was set up in 2011 as a joint venture between the China International Commerce Center (CIECC) and HNA Retailing Holding, a subsidiary of the Chinese conglomerate HNA Group.

This announcement, while a milestone moment for PayPal, doesn’t come as a complete surprise. The PBOC previously revealed that it would open up the domestic market to foreign payments companies in order to support competition.