Ctrip Overseas Version Launches Stablecoin Payments! Book Tickets with USDT and Save 18% to Tap into Southeast Asia

Ctrip Overseas Trip.com quietly launches stablecoin payment feature, allowing global users to book hotels and flights using USDT and USDC. Practical tests show that purchasing a flight from Nha Trang, Vietnam to Ho Chi Minh City with USDT saves about 18% compared to traditional payment methods, and hotel bookings save 2.35%. The platform supports six public blockchains including Ethereum, Solana, and TON.

Price Advantage Test: Hidden Discounts with Stablecoin Payments

(Source: Ctrip Overseas)

Foresight News reporters conducted on-site testing in Vietnam, completing the entire process from downloading Trip.com to paying with USDT in less than 10 minutes. Even more surprising is the price difference: after comparing prices on Ctrip’s official website and several local hotels, paying with USDT on Trip.com resulted in significantly lower prices for some hotels. Actual payment records show that on December 24, booking a hotel in Nha Trang with USDT saved 2.35%, and on December 25, purchasing a flight from Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh City saved about 18%.

Why is stablecoin payment cheaper? There are three reasons: First, Ctrip eliminates the 2% to 3% handling fee and foreign exchange conversion costs of traditional payment channels; second, stablecoin settlement is instant, avoiding bank clearing delays, reducing capital costs; third, in regions like Southeast Asia where fiat currencies are severely devalued, merchants are more willing to accept US dollar stablecoins and thus offer discounts to attract customers. This price advantage is not just a promotional gimmick but a direct reflection of structural cost reduction.

Regarding handling fees, there are obvious differences between different exchanges’ wallets. These differences relate to the public blockchain used (mainly Tron) and its fee mechanisms. Despite fluctuations, overall costs with stablecoin payments remain lower than fixed credit card fees and exchange rate losses.

Delicate Balance Between Privacy Protection and Compliance

Trip.com’s stablecoin payment design demonstrates a subtle balance between privacy protection and regulatory requirements. When booking hotels with USDT, users only need to provide their name and email to complete the order, and the platform can hardly access the user’s full privacy information. This minimal data collection mode is highly attractive in overseas markets, as many users in these regions are far more sensitive to privacy and information security than domestic markets.

However, when purchasing airline tickets, users still need to fill in nationality, passport number, phone number, and other information, which are compliance requirements of the airline industry itself and unrelated to the payment method. This scenario-specific information requirement shows that Ctrip maintains a clear awareness of regulatory boundaries while promoting innovation. Hotel bookings can be simplified to a minimum, but cross-border transportation tickets must meet the real-name registration requirements of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Timing choices are also quite meaningful. In December, Ctrip signed a marketing cooperation agreement with the Cambodia National Tourism Authority, sparking concerns among some users about local security, telecom fraud risks, and personal information security, with many screenshots of Ctrip app uninstallation circulating on social media. Against this background of trust crisis, Trip.com’s launch of privacy-focused stablecoin payments may be a strategic attempt for Ctrip’s overseas business to rebuild user trust.

Triple-A’s Technical Support and Global Deployment

Trip.com’s crypto payments are powered by Singapore-licensed entity Triple-A. This company is a licensed crypto payment institution headquartered in Singapore, mainly providing crypto and stablecoin payment gateways and settlement services. Triple-A has also partnered with Singapore’s internet giant Grab, serving as a technical partner for crypto payment channels, enabling GrabPay users to directly top up their wallets with crypto assets within the Grab app.

Ctrip’s choice to cooperate with Triple-A instead of building its own payment system indicates a focus on compliance. Singapore is one of the most clearly regulated jurisdictions for crypto, requiring licensed institutions to meet strict AML and KYC standards. Through Triple-A, Ctrip can enjoy the technical convenience of stablecoin payments while outsourcing compliance risks to a professional organization.

Three Reasons Why Ctrip Surpasses JD and Ant

Regulatory Flexibility: Overseas version avoids domestic regulatory red lines, allowing more room for experimentation

Market Demand Alignment: Southeast Asia’s severe fiat currency devaluation creates clear demand for stablecoin payments

Natural Business Scenario: Travel and cross-border payments face many pain points, maximizing stablecoin advantages

Compared to other Chinese tech giants, Ctrip’s breakthroughs are particularly eye-catching. JD’s JD Chain Technology was selected for Hong Kong’s stablecoin sandbox, planning to issue HKD-pegged JD-HKD, but was forced to suspend in October 2025 due to intervention by the People’s Bank of China and Cyberspace Administration. Ant Group had planned to apply for a Hong Kong stablecoin license but also received clear instructions from Beijing to pause, later exploring alternatives like “deposit tokens.” Tencent and ByteDance remain cautious, with no direct involvement in stablecoins. Ctrip’s quiet expansion overseas allows it to bypass domestic regulatory pressure and seize early opportunities.

Reconstructing the Global Payment Landscape: Stablecoins Become Standard

Ctrip is not alone; overseas tech giants have already regarded stablecoin payments as standard. PayPal issues its own PYUSD stablecoin, which has expanded to 13 blockchains, supporting free transfers via Venmo and merchant payments, aiming to reach over 200 million users and 20 million merchants. Stripe acquired Bridge and launched stablecoin financial accounts supporting 101 countries, with USDC transactions exceeding 150 billion USD annually. Shopify partners with Coinbase to enable merchants to accept USDC, with stablecoin checkout volume surpassing 28 billion USD in 2025. Visa and Mastercard are expanding support for USDC/PYUSD and other currencies, launching stablecoin-linked cards to enable instant global merchant settlements.

These comprehensive layouts by payment giants show that stablecoin payments have moved from experimental to commercialized deployment. Ctrip’s entry at this time allows it to learn from pioneers and capture market share before the competitive landscape solidifies. Southeast Asia is an ideal testing ground: severe fiat currency devaluation, weak traditional financial infrastructure, and a young population highly receptive to digital assets. If Ctrip’s success in Southeast Asia is verified, it can quickly replicate the model in Latin America, Africa, and other markets.