The announcement came during the signing of a memorandum of understanding in Beijing, attended by Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The project aims to create a technology platform integrating Asian and European digital payment infrastructures within a shared ecosystem: the Bilateral Retail Interoperability Digital Gateway Ecosystem (Bridge). The platform will enable seamless integration of Asian mobile payment systems with European contactless payment networks. Combining the expertise of Macau Pass and Cardnet, the project seeks to streamline cross-border payment transactions, provide real-time currency conversion, ensure transaction security, and meet the highest financial, data protection, and security standards.
Macau Pass, a pioneer in Asian digital payment solutions, is a key partner of Ant International, the owner of Alipay Plus.
Cardnet, working with other Hungarian financial and technology partners, facilitates connections to European payment networks
As part of the collaboration, the two companies will establish a Central Interoperability Platform (CIP), enabling QR code-based and NFC-based transactions. This platform will cater to Chinese tourists, business travelers, expatriate workers, and European consumers alike.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Péter Szijjártó stated: “There’s a growing number of Chinese tourists arriving to Hungary, given the fact that there are 21 flights on a weekly basis from big Chinese cities to Budapest and that many Hungarians are now taking advantage of the visa-free travels for Hungarian citizens to China, which resulted in the tourism in both directions has been increasing.”
He added: “I do believe that in case the common payment platform is being established, it is going to be even more attractive to travel into the countries of each other. Therefore, I do believe that the agreement between Macau Pass and Cardnet Group of Hungary is a very important milestone. This agreement makes it possible that a common payment platform is going to be established through which both Chinese and Hungarian citizens can pay much easier with their own payment schemes in the countries of each other. So I do count on the further increase of tourism between China and Hungary.”
János Kóka, managing director of Cardnet Group, noted, “This collaboration positions Hungary as a critical digital transit hub for payment transactions between Chinese and European customers in each other’s countries.”
Sun Ho, chairman and CEO of Macau Pass Group Holdings Limited, said, “By bridging the gap between East and West, we are laying the foundation for a truly interconnected global digital payment ecosystem.”
