Maverick China Research

99Bill, one of China’s newest players in online payments, is also one of the fastest growing ones. 99Bill claims one of the largest user bases among China’s third-party payment providers today. In this report, we detail 99Bill’s growth strategy, services, and partnerships, and analyze whether 99Bill’s aggressive user acquisition strategy is sustainable in China’s payments sector.

ChinaPay is the online payment subsidiary of China UnionPay, China's government-backed inter-bank transfer network and credit card issuer. Founded in 2000, ChinaPay's seven years of operation make it one of the industry's elder statesmen. Leveraging the financial and marketing support of its parent company, ChinaPay provides online payment services as well as offline bill payments.

The fourth installment in our series of profiles on China's third-party payment companies is on Smartpay, one of the leading mobile payment providers in China. Smartpay's main service is mobile top-up via SMS - that is, paying one's phone bill through the phone itself - and their main operator partner is China Unicom. Other mobile payment services include utilities payment, mobile ticketing, and a dedicated team of dealers to serve China's un-banked population.

Our series of third-party payment company profiles begins with an in-depth look at China UnionPay (CUP), China’s only inter-bank fund transfer network and the gateway to all RMB-denominated bank payments in China. In this report, we study CUP’s expanding role in domestic and international RMB bank transfers and payments, we analyze its competitiveness with payment giant Visa International, and evaluate partnership opportunities for payment network and technology companies in China and abroad.

Founded in 2003, Union Mobile Pay (UMPay) is a joint-venture between China Mobile, the world’s largest mobile operator, and China UnionPay, China’s only inter-bank fund-transfer network. Focused on mobile payments and with the support of these two industry giants UMPay has direct access to capital and technology resources to grow its business in China’s nascent payment market.

Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) in China offers a comprehensive overview of the SIS market in China. Researched on the ground in China through extensive interviews and written from an international perspective, this report identifies the leading suppliers of safety systems in China, their overall market shares, sales figures by system type and by industry.

In China's online world, weak payment systems remain perhaps the greatest obstacle to overall sector growth. With a banking system slow to reform, heavy restrictions on PayPal-like online payment platforms, and little credit card usage among China's online population, virtual currencies have quickly found a niche. These currencies cover a wide range of uses, from Q Coins, the standard payment for countless virtual goods and services on Tencent's QQ.com, to the gold and credits in the virtual economies of China's popular online gaming sector.

Mobile music is the driving force of China's wireless value-added services (WVAS) sector today. What started with a few simple beeped-out ringtones has now blossomed into a multifaceted group of music services. Mobile Music in China: Making the Right Noises offers the most comprehensive, up-to-date study on this fast-growing sector available anywhere. In this report, we analyze the key market forces at play today and forecast what the next five years will bring. Written for an international audience, this report is a valuable resource for mobile operators, music companies, and investors.