China UnionPay Co. Ltd. (CUP) on Friday began services that would allow Hong Kong residents to pay bills in Hong Kong for expenses incurred in the mainland city of Shenzhen using their CUP credit cards, China's central bank said.

Starting on Friday, Hong Kong residents would be able to pay for expenses such as electricity, gas, cable TV, internet connections and cell phone services that were provided in Shenzhen by using CUP credit cards, said a statement from the central bank, the People's Bank of China.H The Hong Kong-Shenzhen cross-border bankcard payment services marked the first of its kind made available using CUP, said the statement.

The services mainly apply to CUP cardholders frequently traveling between the two cities. The services will provide more convenience for Hong Kong residents who have properties in Shenzhen.

So far, the payment services are only being offered using CUP credit cards, but the statement said CUP debit cards would also become available for such services within the year.

As the dominant bankcard service provider in China, CUP is speeding its use by customers traveling outside the country. So far, CUP cards have been accepted in 90 countries and regions outside China.