近日，央行发布了银行卡清算方面的管理办法，向外资企业开放这一流程以促进公平竞争和完善服务。

Chinese and foreign firms can apply to become bank card clearing institutions and they will enjoy the same treatment in regards to qualification, procedure and operation management, said a statement on the website of the People's Bank of China.

中国人民银行在其官网上的一则声明中表示，内资和外资企业可申请成为银行卡清算机构，且两者在资格、程序、业务管理等方面享受同等待遇。

银行卡清算市场放开 挥别银联垄断时代

By the end of 2015, China had issued 5.44 billion bank cards, which were used to make 55 trillion yuan in transactions, about 48 percent of all retail sales, it said.

该声明表示，截止2015年底，我国累计发行银行卡54.42亿张，全年银行卡消费55.00万亿元，占社会消费品零售总额的47.96%。

Currently, only China UnionPay, the national bank card association founded in 2002, is approved by the central bank to provide clearing services for bank card transactions.

目前，央行只允许中国银联--成立于2002年的全国银行卡协会--提供银行卡交易清算方面的服务。

At an executive meeting of the State Council in October 2014, China decided to allow domestic and foreign companies, which met certain requirements, to apply to set up bank card transaction clearing institutions.

在2014年10月的国务院常务会议上，中国政府决定，允许符合一定的要求国内外公司申请设立银行卡交易结算机构。

Market insiders believe foreign penetration will further elevate competition in the business as "third party payment" companies, Alibaba's Alipay in particular, which offer convenient and free online payment services, are already eating into the user base of traditional card transactions.

市场内部人士认为，提供便捷、免费的在线支付服务的第三方支付企业，尤其是阿里巴巴旗下的支付宝，已在侵蚀传统银行卡交易的用户基础，而外资机构的入场将进一步加剧业内竞争。