As credit card facilities here lag behind those of other developed countries, putting historic sites and the latest sneakers potentially off limits for shoppers and tourists who aren't carrying cash, officials are concerned about the impact this could have on the Beijing Games.

None of the city's tourist sites has a POS machine to facilitate plastic, and only 50 percent of shops accept credit cards. This compares to 75 percent in Athens, the host city for the 2004 Olympic Games, and 90 percent for developed countries.

Of the two million people likely to descend on Beijing for the Games, the 300,000 who come from outside the mainland are expected to spend $315 million, Wei Xiaozhen of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics said recently.

With credit card use accelerating in China, providing the right infrastructure to create a culture of convenience is proving a challenge, said Su Ning, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China, the central bank.

Total spending by international Visa cardholders in China in 2005 reached $2.7 billion, up 31 percent from 2004.

To meet demand, a special team of central bank officials is now offering safe and convenient accounting and non-cash payment services for overseas individuals and institutions.

Large companies are also strengthening their efforts to boost the use of foreign-currency credit cards.

For its part, Olympic sponsor Visa has made installing more ATMs in tourist areas a primary task for 2007.

"Major sightseeing, shopping and dining sites for foreigners are our key focuses," said Li Sheng, Visa Asia Pacific's vice-president and head of marketing for China.

Visa has also launched marketing campaigns targeting banks, shops and cardholders.

It has created an Olympic-branded card with the Bank of China and plans to have themed sales in shops.

"International travelers are more inclined to travel to a destination and spend more when a major payment brand is widely accepted," said Li Sheng.

"Our goal is simple: we want to help visitors to China, many of whom will be first-time guests, experience more of Beijing than just the Games. We want to make it possible for them to pay for their sightseeing, eating out and shopping just as easily and securely as they do at home."