Digital payment solution for Greater Bay Area

Emil Chan 陳家豪
4 min readMay 6, 2023

Unleashing the power of payment data to accelerate Hong Kong’s role as a super connector, ensuring payment security and convenience

A typical scene at an electronic devices and home appliance store's counter

The recent "long queue" incident at the Star Ferry piers has once again reminded Hong Kong people that failure to implement proper cashless payments properly can affect their quality of life and Hong Kong’s reputation. Hong Kong must accelerate the development of digital payment solutions for the Greater Bay Area to maintain its reputation as an international financial center.

Data-driven approach, propelling Hong Kong to become a core player in Greater Bay Area digital payments!

With the integration of the Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong is poised to become a core player in digital payments in the region. By utilizing payment data and digital payment solutions for the Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong can gain a more comprehensive understanding of Greater Bay Area consumers and provide more targeted and effective services.

Data has been dubbed the "new oil", and its value continues to rise in the era of digitization and artificial intelligence. Therefore, unleashing the power of payment data has become a goal that Hong Kong must pursue in order to accelerate its vision as a super connector between the digital and physical worlds.

Digital payment solutions can also improve transaction efficiency and promote cross-border trade. By optimizing processes using payment data and implementing digital payment solutions for the Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong can shorten waiting times, increase transaction speeds, and make cross-border transactions more effective.

In addition, digital payment solutions can enhance security and prevent fraud. By adopting advanced technologies such as biometric identification and machine learning, Hong Kong can detect and prevent fraudulent behavior in real-time, protecting the rights and interests of consumers and businesses and helping Hong Kong integrate into the digital economy era.

Those who adapt to the development of the digital economy will thrive while those who do not will perish

This is the best of times because through payment data, Hong Kong can gain a deeper understanding of consumer needs and preferences, providing more personalized, efficient and convenient services. In addition, by analyzing payment data, Hong Kong can better understand the financial needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and provide tailored financial services to support their growth.

However, this is also the worst of times because as data increases, data breaches and unauthorized payment events also increase. In the past few years, Hong Kong has also experienced multiple unauthorized payment incidents, such as unauthorized payments from credit cards issued by Standard Chartered Bank and HSBC, exposing the vulnerability of traditional online payment security.

The digitization of currency and assets is also an important project of global central banks.

Hong Kong has always been an important hub for international finance and the fusion of Eastern and Western cultures, giving it a unique advantage in digital payments and the legalization of virtual assets. In recent years, as the digital renminbi has been implemented nationwide in China and the internationalization of the renminbi has progressed, Hong Kong is actively promoting the legalization of virtual asset trading, accelerating digital payments and the legalization of virtual assets, and helping the internationalization of the renminbi.

To ensure payment security and privacy, strict security measures such as multi-factor authentication, password protection, and encryption technology need to be taken. In addition, a sound regulatory mechanism needs to be established to ensure the legality and security of payment data. This includes establishing appropriate laws and standards, strengthening supervision and review, building a good compliance culture, and imposing severe penalties for violations, as the European Union and mainland China do. Only in this way can Hong Kong maintain its leading position in the digital payment field and play a greater role in the digital payment solutions for the Greater Bay Area.

Digital payments and virtual assets are important directions for future financial development, and Hong Kong has rich experience and advantages in financial regulation, technological development, and internationalization. The Hong Kong government is actively promoting the formulation of relevant policies and regulations, creating a better environment for digital payments and the legalization of virtual assets, enabling Hong Kong to better leverage its advantages, and becoming an important promoter and beneficiary of digital payments and the legalization of virtual assets.

Hong Kong will continue to work towards the development of FinTech and digitalization, contributing to the internationalization of the renminbi and injecting new impetus into Hong Kong’s prosperity and development.

Leading the digital payment revolution, achieving new heights in global financial technology!

Digital payment solutions are the key to Hong Kong's mission as a world-class digital asset trading center and innovator in financial technology. By utilizing payment data and digital payment solutions for the Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong can not only provide more personalized, efficient, and convenient services, but also promote cross-border trade and financial inclusion and effectively prevent unauthorized payment events.

As a global financial center, Hong Kong has rich experience, matured policies, and the ability to lead the digital payment revolution. Now is the time for Hong Kong to leverage its strengths, accelerate the realization of digital payment solutions for the Greater Bay Area, and lead the new heights in global financial technology! Digital payments are not only the future trend but also the inevitable path for Hong Kong to achieve new breakthroughs in the field of financial technology. Let us look forward to Hong Kong’s new breakthroughs in the field of digital payments and its leadership in global FinTech!

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Emil Chan 陳家豪

以「還俗IT人」自居。香港金融科技革命「吹哨人」。主要工作除了擔任金融科技初創企業顧問外,也是香港城市大學、香港理工大學、香港大學、嶺南大學等知名商學院之特約教授及客席講師,積極透過教育推動本地及大灣區金融科技及智慧城市發展。 放下幾十年編寫電腦程式的鍵盤後近年重新以此寫作。以「但憑愚公志,復我獅山茂」為工作目標。