Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC) announced that it is now offering airlines the ability to accept UnionPay credit cards as a form of payment for tickets sold through the US travel agency channel. UnionPay, based in Shanghai, claims to be the world’s largest card-based form of payment, with 7 billion cards issued worldwide. The company’s payment products are accepted in 171 countries and regions, and the cards are issued in over 50 countries and regions. Chuck Fischer, ARC’s managing director of payment strategy and industry relations, said the corporation is committed to making it easy for airlines to offer customers their preferred payment method. He said that with the addition of UnionPay as an option, “many in the growing Chinese travel market will enjoy an improved customer experience.”