Access to the e-wallets makes it possible for users of mPay, Hipay, Changi Pay, OCBC, Naver Pay, Toss Pay, AlipayHK, Touch ‘n Go eWallet, Kakao Pay, and True Money to make mobile payments in mainland China using Alipay’s merchant network. The e-wallets companies from Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong SAR, and Macao SAR, span a population of 175 million.

The e-wallet travellers are able to use their own digital wallet apps while in China, with select companies having access to Alipay+ rewards and deals.

Douglas Feagin, senior vice president of Ant Group and head of Alipay+ cross-border mobile payment services, stated: “A growing variety of mobile payment providers are joining this ecosystem of cross-border digital commerce, from mobile wallets, to banking apps, independent merchant apps and super-apps. We will invest faster and deeper in payment and digital marketing technologies to help our partners and merchants achieve robust, omni-channel growth.”

The move highlights Alipay+ growth throughout a cross-border ecosystem. The pilot A+China wallets (Kakao Pay, Touch ‘n Go eWallet, and AlipayHK) saw a large increase in total payments between March and August 2023, with the number of payments growing 47 times its total.

The program also allows users to link their international cards to Alipay, allowing them to make mobile payments and use digital services while in China.

Eric Jing, chairman and CEO of Ant Group, commented: “It is incredibly inspiring to see such regional multi-party partnership help travellers enjoy greater choice and convenience, and small businesses thrive in cross-border commerce with unprecedented innovations. We look forward to building wider and deeper collaboration to fulfil our shared mission to make the world a better place with the power of digital technologies.”

Won-Keun Shin, CEO of Kakao Pay, added: “It was inconvenient for both merchants and users to carry cash when traveling China, the country where mobile payments are prevalent. However, now that Alipay+ merchants across China can pay with Kakao Pay, the convenience of Korean users will be expected to increase significantly. The partnership with Alipay+, which began in 2018, has now expanded through cooperation with multiple global wallets from Southeast Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania, and this is one of the core strategies of Kakao Pay to expand its overseas payment infrastructure to various regions around the world.”

Monsinee Nakapanant, co-president of Ascend Money Co., Ltd., operator of TrueMoney, noted: “Our cooperation with Alipay+ marks a significant milestone in our streamlining cross-border payment, making it just as effortless internationally as domestically for users. China is an attractive destination for many Thai business and leisure travellers. In the wake of the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games, we are excited to be the only app from Thailand that helps Thai travellers to overcome challenges posed by traditional payment methods, and allows them to fully enjoy cashless experiences while traveling to China.”