Business Wire

Alipay Aims to Help 10 Million European Merchants Reach Over 2 Billion Potential Consumers in Five Years With Innovative Technology

Share

Alipay, the world’s leading payment and lifestyle platform, today announced a new target to support 10 million small and medium enterprises in Europe over the next five years, through innovative technology that will empower these merchants to better serve and sell to over 2 billion potential consumers travelling to the region from around the world.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191114005332/en/

To view this piece of content from mms.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.

A Chinese tourist uses Alipay to pay for items at a store in Norway. (Photo: Business Wire)

The strategy to support these merchants was unveiled today during the Alipay Partners Global Summit held in London. This includes an expanded collaboration with the largest European acquirer Worldline, as well as a new initiative to serve airport shops around the world through in-app mini programs.

“Our aim is to improve the way in which individuals and businesses buy, sell and receive payments, and to do this, we need to draw upon the strength of our partnerships,” said Eric Jing, Chairman and CEO of Ant Financial, operator of Alipay. “Our growth has only been possible due to the network of partners we have established, and working together, we will make it easier for anyone to do business anywhere.”

“Our innovative solutions will continue to help merchants in Europe better serve the growing numbers of tourists as well as e-commerce shoppers coming to the region from all over the world,” Eric said.

Alipay is China's most popular digital payment service, according to market researcher Statista, with 87 percent of survey respondents in the country aged between 18 and 69 reporting that they use Alipay for their digital financial needs. Alipay currently serves over 1.2 billion users together with local e-wallet partners in the Republic of Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

Alipay is continually working with its partners around the world, leveraging technology to build a seamless ecosystem that allows merchants to better serve their customers, which will in return help boost their sales.

In a report published this year, Nielsen found that over 93% of Chinese tourists would be more willing to make purchases with their mobile phones and would even increase their spending if the option were available, while 60% of merchants surveyed that adopted Alipay reported growth in foot traffic and revenue.

Currently, Alipay collaborates with more than 120 financial institutions in Europe and is constantly adding more and more partnerships with travel service agencies and other types of third-party service providers. This will help merchants deliver enhanced experiences to their customers as they seize the growth opportunities in the global travel market.

More details on the new innovations unveiled today by Alipay:

  • The first is the expanded partnership with Worldline, an existing acquirer for Alipay that will work with Alipay’s e-wallet partners from Asia for the first time, allowing European merchants to accept payments from them through their Alipay-enabled points of sale. This multi-wallet acceptance means merchants across Europe will be able to drive increased footfall and spending from tourists from across Asia.
  • Additionally, Alipay has developed mini programs to enhance tourists’ experience at airports around the world, offering services such as convenient payments and personalized recommendations. Alipay Mini Programs officially launched in July 2018, opening up the service to independent programmers and enterprises to create interesting and useful “lite apps”.
    • How it works: The first airport mini program was launched by Hong Kong International Airport, allowing orders to be fulfilled as quickly as 90 minutes from ordering, so travellers can shop online and buy at their leisure, well before they reach the airport, and pick up their duty-free purchases as soon as they arrive.
    • Additional features: The tailor-made airport mini program provides a range of services including flight information, transfer and entry tips, and other practical features including an instant chat within the mini program. It is also embedded with Alipay’s scenario solutions such as online transportation reservation and scan to order dining, as well as reminders of estimated time through security and boarding notices just by inputting flight details. Users can also receive electronic coupons and membership benefits offered by Alipay, as well as one-stop information and optimised route recommendations in the airport, allowing them to enjoy the airport’s services with ease.

About Alipay

Operated by Ant Financial Services Group, Alipay is the world’s leading payment and lifestyle platform. Launched in 2004, Alipay serves over 1.2 billion users with its local e-wallets partners as of June 2019. Over the years, Alipay has evolved from a digital wallet to a lifestyle enabler. Users can hail a taxi, book a hotel, buy movie tickets, pay utility bills, make appointments with doctors, or purchase wealth management products directly from within the app. In addition to online payments, Alipay is expanding to in-store offline payments both inside and outside of China. Alipay’s in-store payment service covers over 50 markets across the world, and tax reimbursement via Alipay is supported in 35 markets. Alipay works with over 250 overseas financial institutions and payment solution providers to enable cross-border payments for Chinese travelling overseas and overseas customers who purchase products from Chinese e-commerce sites. Alipay currently supports 27 currencies.

To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.

Contact information

Media Inquiries
Yang Xinyun
Ant Financial
+8613816896301
xinyun.yang@antfin.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

Global Tourism Surging Ahead of Economic Growth, With Visits to Hit 30 Billion by 20344.7.2025 02:00:00 EEST | Press release

The World Economic Forum has today published a new report forecasting that the travel and tourism industry is projected to serve 30 billion tourist trips by 2034. Travel and Tourism at a Turning Point: Principles for Transformative Growth, produced in collaboration with Kearney and the Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia, reveals a projected $16 trillion contribution to global GDP by the same year—representing more than 11% of the total world economy, according to World Travel & Tourism Council estimates. The report also found that the sector is expanding 1.5 times faster than the global economy, generating significant commercial opportunities as long as the mounting challenges of climate change, labour shortages and infrastructure gaps are addressed. Inbound and outbound trips increasing fast Asia is on track to become the world’s fastest-growing tourism economy, with the direct travel and tourism GDP contribution expected to exceed 7% across the region by 2034. Notably, India and China

The 2025-2026 World Branding Awards Animalis Edition Honouring Leading Pet and Animal Brands Globally3.7.2025 22:00:00 EEST | Press release

The 2025-2026 World Branding Awards Animalis Edition marked its fifth instalment, bringing together leading pet and animal brands from all around the world. These brands were celebrated for their outstanding achievements, earning recognition as National, Regional, and Global Winners. The awards ceremony, held at Vienna's prestigious Hofburg Palace, welcomed winners across diverse categories, including pet food, retail, wellness, pet exhibitions, and aquatic products. Mounia Berrada-Gouzi expertly hosted the evening, which culminated in a grand celebration of brand excellence. “The Animalis Edition of the World Branding Awards recognises brands that have achieved the highest distinction—genuine recognition in the hearts and minds of consumers. Tonight, we honour those whose names resonate globally, whose values inspire loyalty, and whose presence defines excellence in the pet and animal industry,” said Richard Rowles, Chairman of the World Branding Forum. Out of over 950 brands nominate

Venture Global Announces 20-Year Sales and Purchase Agreement with PETRONAS3.7.2025 15:59:00 EEST | Press release

Today, Venture Global, Inc. (NYSE: VG) announced the execution of a new 20-year Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA) with PETRONAS LNG Ltd. (PLL), a subsidiary of the Malaysian state-owned oil and gas company, PETRONAS. Under the terms of the SPA, PETRONAS will purchase 1 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Venture Global’s third facility, CP2 LNG, for 20 years. This builds upon Venture Global’s existing agreement with PETRONAS for 1 MTPA of LNG supply from Plaquemines LNG. PETRONAS, a world-class partner in the LNG industry, joins other CP2 LNG customers in Europe, Asia and the rest of the world in a strategically important project to global energy supply and security. To date, approximately 10.75 MTPA of the 14.4 MTPA nameplate capacity for CP2 Phase One has been sold. About Venture Global Venture Global is a long-term, low-cost provider of U.S. LNG sourced from resource rich North American natural gas basins. Venture Global’s business includes assets ac

Frost & Sullivan Recognizes Novotech as 2025 Global Biotech CRO Company of the Year3.7.2025 15:05:00 EEST | Press release

In recognition of its innovation, client-focused delivery, and global impact, Novotech has been awarded the 2025 Global Biotechnology Contract Research Organization (CRO) Company of the Year by Frost & Sullivan. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250703950144/en/ Novotech Wins Global CRO Award Novotech is a globally recognized full-service clinical CRO and scientific advisory firm, trusted by biotech and small- to mid-sized pharmaceutical companies to advance their drug development programs at every phase. With a global footprint spanning Asia-Pacific, North America, and Europe, Novotech supports over 5,000 clinical trial sites and a distributed team of experts delivering seamless, end-to-end solutions across geographies. “Novotech is redefining biotech-focused clinical research through AI-driven innovation, global expansion, and a client-embedded partnership model. With a clear vision to be the CRO of choice for

Tinnitus Research: Novel Compound AC102 Makes Constant Ear Noise Disappear in Preclinical Model3.7.2025 13:02:00 EEST | Press release

The novel compound AC102 almost completely reversed tinnitus in a preclinical model after a single dose. At the same time, the damaged connections between the auditory nerve and inner ear sensory cells were restored. These findings were recently published in the prestigious International Journal of Molecular Sciences in a joint study conducted by Erlangen University Hospital and Berlin-based drug developer AudioCure. As there is currently no causal treatment for tinnitus, there is a high medical need. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250702168211/en/ In 10-20% of tinnitus cases, the noise in the ear is so severe that it significantly impairs the quality of life of those affected. (Source: AI-generated) In the current study, AC102 was administered to the middle ear of one experimental group after acoustic trauma, while a second group received a placebo. Although both groups initially showed signs of tinnitus, th

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
World GlobeA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye