A staff member works at a tax refund service counter at Hangzhou Tower. [Photo/WeChat ID: hz-tower]

Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Jinhua (Yiwu), Chengdu, Chongqing, Nanjing, and Xi'an ranked as the top 10 cities for inbound visitor spending via Alipay, which rose nearly 70 percent year over year nationwide during the first three days of the May Day holiday, according to data from Ant International.

Travelers from Kazakhstan and Malaysia were among the heaviest users of overseas digital wallets linked to Alipay, with inbound visitors shopping in cities including Hangzhou also able to use in-store tax refund services.

After making purchases at eligible stores, travelers can receive refunds through Alipay by tapping or scanning their phones without filling out forms or waiting in line at airports, with some refunds arriving in as little as two minutes.

In the first three days of the holiday, the number of departure tax refund transactions processed through Alipay by inbound travelers rose more than 40 percent from the previous month.