Tourists from France enjoy a soup dumpling at Yuyuan Garden Mall in Shanghai, east China, Jan. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Aiping)

Shanghai on Wednesday launched "Easy Go," an all-in-one platform to streamline digital services for international visitors, leveraging China's expanded visa facilitation and instant tax refunds.

The platform, developed by the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government, the People's Bank of China Shanghai Head Office, along with other city departments, integrates consumption services and tourism information onto Alipay's international version, eliminating the need for multiple app downloads and addressing previous language barriers.

Foreign users can register with one click to access 30 mini-programs across the four key areas of dining, transport, sightseeing and shopping. Core functions include food delivery, restaurant recommendations, public transit, ride-hailing, travel advice, ticket booking, luggage storage and tax refund service locations. The service operates primarily in English and offers real-time multilingual translation.

Easy Go also features a "tap for tax refund" function that links to a tax refund map of the city, and provides updated city guides and travel tips. Media and influencer videos promoting Shanghai and China are available on the platform too.

"Easy Go is a very convenient platform because it's just all in one," said Clarisse Le Guernic, who comes from France. "Foreign tourists coming to Shanghai, they don't need to download many different apps, and they can do payment, translation, order food, take shared bikes just with Easy Go."

As of June, citizens from 55 countries can utilize China's 240-hour visa-free transit program. The country has also expanded its unilateral visa-free access program, allowing travelers from 47 countries to stay for up to 30 days.