Ant Group Brings Alipay+ to the Philippines with Three New Mobile Wallets, AlipayHK, Kakao Pay and Touch ‘n Go eWallet
5.9.2023 07:58:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Ant Group, the operator of Alipay+, the global cross-border digital payments and marketing solution, today announced that a total of four mobile wallets are now accepted in the Philippines. These include AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR), Kakao Pay (South Korea), Touch ‘n Go eWallet (Malaysia) and Alipay (Chinese mainland), which has been accepted by Filipino merchants since 2017. This enables travellers from these regions to enjoy a cashless experience, using just their home mobile wallets to make payment, improving the travel experience as digital payment options like mobile wallets become the norm for day-to-day transactions.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230904840228/en/
Mactan-Cebu International Airport, which saw 219% increase in passengers in the 1H of 2023, have integrated Alipay+ across 90% of its merchants (Photo: Business Wire)
The acceptance of three new mobile wallets, via Alipay+, comes as travellers return to the Philippines. According to the Department of Tourism (DOT), more than 3 million tourists have visited the Philippines from January 1 to July 19, 2023, reflecting continued robust recovery. The DOT also shared that inbound tourism receipts from January 1 to June 30, 2023, are more than 500% higher than the same period last year1. South Koreans top the list of international visitors to the Philippines, while Malaysia ranks in the top 102.
Alipay+ is currently accepted by merchants in Manila and Cebu, the top two most visited cities in the Philippines pre-pandemic in 20193. In the first half of 2023, Mactan-Cebu International Airport saw a 219% increase in passengers compared to the same period last year. In order to cater to the new expectations of digital-first travellers, the airport has integrated Alipay+ across 90% of its merchants, ensuring that tourists can enjoy a digitally-enhanced cashless experience from the moment they arrive in Cebu.
Athanasios Titonis, Aboitiz InfraCapital Chief Executive Officer assigned to MCIA, said: “At MCIA, we have always placed utmost importance on providing convenience and ease of travel through seamless processes and world-class services and amenities. The integration of Alipay+ gives our passengers that exceptional convenience and more payment options when they travel through MCIA.”
Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) is the second largest airport in the Philippines with over 11 million passengers annually, making it the second busiest airport in the country. With its strategic location and world-class facilities, MCIA aims to establish itself as the main tourism gateway of the country with exceptional travel experience, connecting the world to the Philippines. To date, MCIA is the first and only airport in the Philippines to receive the Airport Customer Experience (ACX) accreditation from the Airports Council International.
Commenting on this new development, Dr. Cherry Huang, General Manager of Alipay+ Offline Merchant Services at Ant Group, said: “Philippines and its many islands, such as Cebu, have long been a favourite destination for Asian travellers and we look forward to working with our local partners to enhance their travel experience. We believe that digital adoption and solutions will shape travellers’ expectations, particularly in the way the engage travel-related businesses, from airports and hospitality to F&B and retail stores. Our focus now is to work with more partners to onboard more merchants with Alipay+ across the Philippines, particularly local small businesses, and promote digital travel and travel recovery.”
Introduced by Ant Group in 2020, Alipay+ aims to enable local businesses, especially small and medium-sized businesses, to process a wide range of mobile payment methods and reach more than 1.4 billion regional and global consumers, through one-time integration and simple technical adaption. In addition to the Philippines, Alipay+ is also widely accepted in destinations including the Chinese mainland, Macao SAR, Singapore, Thailand, Japan and South Korea among others.
About Mactan-Cebu International Airport
Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) is the second largest airport in the Philippines. It serves over 11 million passengers annually, making it the second busiest airline hub in the country. MCIA is operated by a Filipino-led private consortium between Aboitiz InfraCapital (AIC), GMR Group of India, and Megawide Construction Corporation (MCC), under a concession agreement with the Philippine Government. With its strategic location and world-class facilities, MCIA aims to establish itself as the main tourism gateway of the country with exceptional travel experience, connecting the world to the Philippines. MCIA is accredited for the Airport Customer Experience (ACX) and the Airport Health Accreditation (AHA) by the Airports Council International.
About Ant Group
Ant Group aims to create the infrastructure and platform to support the digital transformation of the service industry. It strives to enable all consumers and small and micro businesses to have equal access to financial and other services that are inclusive, green and sustainable.
Ant Group is the owner and operator of Alipay, the leading digital payment platform in China serving hundreds of millions of users, and connecting them with merchants and partner financial institutions that offer inclusive financial services and digital daily life services such as food delivery, transport, entertainment, and healthcare.
Ant Group has further introduced Alipay+, which provides global cross-border mobile payments and marketing solutions that connect merchant partners, especially small and medium-sized businesses, with mobile payments and other payment methods, for them to better serve their users and customers from all over the world.
About Alipay+
Alipay+ offers unified global mobile payment and marketing solutions that connect merchants with multiple e-wallets and payment methods from different countries and regions by collaborating with global partners. Consumers can conveniently use their preferred local payment methods while transacting seamlessly in a different market and be able to enjoy marketing offers by the merchants through Alipay+. Alipay+ is developed by Ant Group, the owner and operator of Alipay, one of the world’s leading digital open platforms.
1 Manila Bulletin (19 July 2023): PH int’l tourists breach 3M mark, revenues hit P212B
2 Department of Tourism: Tourism demand statistics 2023
3 Department of Tourism: Visitor arrivals: January – December 2019
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230904840228/en/
Contact information
Scott Lai
scott.lai@antgroup.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Estithmar Holding Net Profit Surges 122% to QAR 938 Million; Revenue Rises 54% to QAR 6.4 Billion for the Year Ended 31 December 202510.3.2026 23:52:00 EET | Press release
Estithmar Holding Q.P.S.C. has announced its financial results for the year ended 31 December 2025. The group reported a 54% increase in revenue to QAR 6.4 billion, compared with QAR 4.2 billion in 2024. Gross profit rose to QAR 2.1 billion, up from QAR 1 billion in 2024, representing growth of 111%. EBITDA reached QAR 1.5 billion, an increase of 102% year-on-year. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260310410214/en/ Estithmar Holding Net Profit Surges 122% to QAR 938 Million; Revenue Rises 54% to QAR 6.4 Billion for the Year Ended 31 December 2025 (Photo: AETOSWire) Net profit climbed 122% compared with 2024, reaching QAR 938 million. Earnings per share increased by 145% to QAR 0.264. The growth in net profit was primarily driven by higher revenues, particularly from the specialized contracting and healthcare sectors. The results reflect the group’s ability to convert operational growth into sustainable profitabi
IFF Expands Latin American Footprint With New Enzyme Hub, Brazil Application Lab10.3.2026 22:30:00 EET | Press release
IFF (NYSE: IFF) — a global leader in flavors, fragrances, food ingredients and health & biosciences — is enhancing regional production and innovation capabilities to better support the continued growth of its Health & Biosciences (H&B) business in Latin America, one of the fastest-growing markets for the company. The effort includes the transformation of the Arroyito site in Argentina into IFF’s first full fermentation‑based enzyme production hub in the region and the opening of a household care application laboratory at IFF’s Innovation Center in Brazil. Together, these enhancements expand IFF’s regional footprint and are expected to improve speed, reliability and locally relevant solutions for markets including brewing, animal nutrition, biofuels and home care. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260310253993/en/ IFF's home care application lab in Brazil. “This is about turning science into impact where it matte
Xtep-Sponsored Chinese Teenage Dancer Claims World Championship at Juste Debout Street Dance World Finals10.3.2026 20:46:00 EET | Press release
Xtep, a well-known sportswear brand from China, proudly announced that Xtep-sponsored Chinese teenage dancers delivered an electrifying performance at the Juste Debout Street Dance World Finals in Paris on Sunday, March 8, 2026, claiming top honors and showcasing a unique fusion of traditional Chinese culture with modern street dance. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260310519224/en/ Chinese Teens Dance to Glory at Juste Debout World Finals Li Yongqiu, a 14-year-old from Southwestern China’s Chongqing Municipality, made history by winning the Global Championship in the Junior Dance Tour, becoming the third Chinese dancer to achieve this feat. His explosive power and technical mastery, honed through years of training that integrates Kungfu elements, captivated judges and audiences alike. The Chinese contingent's success didn't stop there. Zhang Xinlan and Zhang Chuyi secured a Top 8 finish in the Popping Adult D
ATLAS Infrastructure Invests in H2O America, Backs Long-Term Growth Strategy10.3.2026 19:29:00 EET | Press release
ATLAS Infrastructure (“ATLAS”) is a specialist Global Listed Infrastructure investor managing funds on behalf of long-term infrastructure clients. Following the recent equity placement, ATLAS’s actively managed accounts hold ~10.8% voting and economic interest in H2O America (“H2O”). ATLAS was pleased to support H2Os long‑term strategy to invest in local water and wastewater utility operations through our participation in the recent equity raise. ATLAS recognises the disciplined approach from H2O management which focuses on organic investment in existing businesses alongside targeted and accretive transactions such as the acquisition of Quadvest which materially expands H2O’s regulated water footprint in a premium high‑growth jurisdiction. The upsized equity raise, anchored by ATLAS, supports the company strategy through providing significant balance sheet capacity and financial flexibility well into the Company’s 2026-2030 CapEx plan. “Increased investment in water utilities is essent
Svante and Integrated Packaging Company Advance U.S. Biogenic CDR Project to Feasibility10.3.2026 15:57:00 EET | Press release
Svante Technologies Inc. (“Svante”) announced today that its bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) project at a paper mill in the Southeast U.S. has progressed to the feasibility study phase. The project is being developed in partnership with an integrated sustainable packaging company, following an extensive screening and pre-feasibility study conducted across several of the partner’s mills. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260310319382/en/ During the feasibility study phase, the companies will complete further engineering and design activities, cost and schedule estimates, and risk assessments required to evaluate commercial viability ahead of a future engineering study leading to final investment decision (FID). Svante’s subsidiary, Svante Development Inc., is co-investing in this phase with the mill owner. The project is designed to capture and permanently store more than 500,000 tonnes per year
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom