Alipay+, the cross-border mobile payment and digitalisation solutions operated by Ant International, has had a very successful summer. Having been the official; payment partner of UEFA EURO 2024, the company is now looking at how it can capitalise on this momentum.
Tourists across Europe will be able to pay with their preferred payments apps via Alipay+ at more than 90 million global merchants in 66 markets. This will be especially prominent in destinations like the UK, France, Italy, Spain and Germany, where the company will be rolling out joint campaigns with over 30 payment partners.
Benefitting from the UEFA EURO 2024
This has, in large part, been made possible due to the awareness brought to the company during the UEFA EURO 2024. During June and July 2024, Alipay+ merchants in Europe saw a year-on-year increase of 27 per cent in terms of transactions made from its partner e-wallets. Many of these are mobile payment leaders in Asia. The number of tourists who paid with their preferred home payment app via Alipay+ rose by over 30 per cent during the championship period.
Mobile-savvy travellers from the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong SAR, Europe, Malaysia and South Korea lead the European travel craze in terms of the number of transactions and total spending. Additionally, while retail remains the most popular activity, travellers also pay with their home payment apps via Alipay+ at pharmacies and attractions.
Lastly, cross-border consumption rose with varied user and merchant campaigns across UEFA EURO host cities like Berlin and Munich. In Germany, Alipay+ transactions increased by more than 73 per cent, with a 40 per cent increase in the number of merchants accepting an Alipay+ transaction, compared to the year before.
“The surge in Alipay+ transactions during UEFA EURO 2024 shows the power of sports and major events to unite people and drive cross-border tourism,” said Douglas Feagin, president of Ant International. “European merchants and partners embraced new digital payment trends with remarkable openness and agility. At Ant International, we will continue to expand merchant coverage for consumers and bring more international businesses to the doors of global SMEs.”
Making everyone a winner
Besides retailers, Alipay+ is also working with local partners to ensure more local businesses can benefit. For example, tourists can enjoy special deals at many small shops in Chinatown in Milan, with more small businesses across Europe to be progressively onboarded.
Alipay+ is also adding more digital conveniences for tourists through its recent integration with the taxi app FREENOW, available in seven European countries, and partnerships for digital tax refunds. The latter allows Chinese tourists to receive instant tax refunds on their Alipay app in-store.
Beyond Europe
In Japan, more than two million merchants accept Alipay+. Tourists from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong SAR, the Philippines, South Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand can enjoy special discounts at 300,000 merchants across the country. This includes at airport shops, department stores, premium shopping malls, convenience store chains, electronics and appliances retailers, and health and beauty shops.
In South Korea, Alipay+ is rolling out summer promotions with leading retailers, theme parks, traditional market and transportation providers. This includes duty-free stores and department stores operated by:
- Hyundai
- Shilla
- Shinsegae
- Lotte World
- ZeroPay Jeju market
- Olive Young
And for users of:
- AlipayHK
- GCash
- Touch ‘n Go eWallet
- TrueMoney
Enabling better transport
Alipay+ expanded its acceptance for transportation in South Korea, making it easier for tourists to travel around. In Jeju, users of Alipay+ partners, including Alipay, AlipayHK, GCash, Touch ’n Go eWallet and TrueMoney, can simply use their own payment apps to pay for bus rides.
The convenience extends beyond local transportation. Chinese tourists can book train tickets to travel across the country through a dedicated mini-program operated by Korail within the Alipay app.
Through its collaboration with ZeroPay, South Korea’s national QR standard, Alipay+ is accepted by more than 1.9 million merchants.
Alipay+ and its partners continue to make travel more seamless in the Chinese mainland, including the recent expansion of the International Consumer-Friendly Zone Program to Chengdu and Chongqing, as well as Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai.
Tourists visiting the Chinese mainland can pay across more than 80 million merchants by linking their international credit cards to the Alipay app or via 12 other Alipay+ partner payment methods.
In Southeast Asia (SEA), where Alipay+ is widely accepted, users of AlipayHK, Touch ’n Go eWallet, GCash and TrueMoney can purchase discounted travel packs for use at all Alipay+ merchants in the region. Through its partnership with national QRs in Singapore and Malaysia, Alipay+ merchants in the region include many micro and small merchants like hawker stalls in Singapore, that will allow tourists to truly ‘travel like a local’.
With SEA being a popular destination for Chinese tourists, Alipay+ is introducing more innovation and campaigns via Alipay, one of its payment partners, including exclusive campaigns with more than 30 of the most popular retailers:
Thailand
- Central Retail
- The Mall Group
- King Power
Malysia
- Pavilion
- Sunway Velocity
Singapore
- Jewel
- Resorts Word Sentosa
- Mandai
Additionally, in Thailand, the top SEA destination for Chinese tourists, Alipay+ is enhancing its Alipay+ D-hub and Amazing Thailand e-card – a joint digital travel innovation with the Tourism Authority of Thailand – within the Alipay app, to promote more cities, more merchants and offer more discounts.
