WeChat Adds Didi Dache Taxi Booking, Facilitates Payment
Tencent Tech, 1/05/14
Chinese internet and mobile services firm Tencent (0700.HK) has updated the iOS version of its WeChat (Weixin) mobile messaging app, adding a taxi booking channel in partnership with Chinese taxi booking app Didi Dache to the app's "My Bank Card" page. WeChat users can now access Didi Dache services within WeChat without downloading the Didi Dache mobile app. To pay fares, passengers manually enter the fare displayed on the taxi meter and complete payment through WeChat's WeChat Pay ("Weixin Zhifu") third-party payment platform. Taxi drivers can transfer money from Didi Dache to their bank accounts through the Didi Dache driver app. WeChat's Didi Dache service features a RMB 0-5 tipping option. WeChat Pay functionality has also been added to the Didi Dache app.
At present, WeChat has only opened Didi Dache service to users in Beijing. The service will be rolled out nationwide starting on January 6. Additionally, between January 10 and February 10, users and drivers will receive cash incentives to use WeChat's Didi Dache feature. Drivers will receive RMB 10 for each fare processed through the service, for a maximum of RMB 50 per day, while passengers will receive a RMB 10 discount on each taxi fare, for a maximum of RMB 30 per day. WeChat and Didi Dache will also hold drawings for 10,000 free taxi rides per day during the promotional period.
Editor's Note: For more background on this topic, please see "Tencent Invests USD 30 Mln in Didi Dache Series C" MD 1/03/14 issue.
Keywords: wireless Tencent third-party payment 0700.HK WeChat Didi Dache taxi booking app WeChat Pay mobile IM mobile payment
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