Western Union has added WeChat Pay to its WU GlobalPay for Students product through its alliance with Geoswift, a payment company specializing in payment products in and out of China, according to a press release.

Western Union said the enhanced capability will enable academic institutions to offer Chinese students studying abroad a wider range of digital payment options including WeChat Pay, Alipay, UnionPay and Tenpay, according to the release.

"Mobile payments play a key role in the day-to-day life of China's digitally savvy population," Adam Tiberi, senior vice president of strategy and product for Western Union Business Solutions, said in the release. "Being able to use WeChat Pay and other popular payment platforms is crucial for Chinese students. As the largest international student population in the world, Chinese students expect universities to offer them simple and convenient payment experiences. Our latest update to GlobalPay for Students allows our education customers to provide an enhanced experience for their Chinese students."

Western Union launched its enhanced GlobalPay for Students platform in 2017 to enable academic institutions to more efficiently reconcile, refund and track payments from international students.