Ant Group, the mastermind behind Alipay+, a global cross-border digital payments and marketing platform, revealed today that it is expanding its payment options in the Philippines. In addition to Alipay, which has been widely accepted by Filipino merchants since 2017, three more mobile wallets—AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR), Kakao Pay (South Korea), and Touch ‘n Go eWallet (Malaysia)—will now be part of the payment landscape.
A Cashless Experience for World Travelers
This expansion ensures that travelers from China, Hong Kong SAR, South Korea, and Malaysia can engage in seamless transactions, enjoying a cashless experience utilizing their home mobile wallets. The inclusion of these three new payment options via Alipay+ aligns with the robust tourism rebound in the Philippines.
According to the Department of Tourism (DOT), over 3 million tourists have explored the Philippines from January 1 to July 19, 2023. The DOT has also reported a staggering 500% hike in inbound tourism receipts for the first half of 2023 compared to last year.
Leading Destinations for Alipay+ Users
Alipay+ is making its mark predominantly in Manila and Cebu, which were the top two tourist cities in the Philippines pre-pandemic. Notably, the Mactan-Cebu International Airport has seen a remarkable 219% surge in passenger numbers in the first half of 2023, compared to the same period last year. To adapt to this digital shift, 90% of the airport’s merchants have now integrated Alipay+.
“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,” said Athanasios Titonis, Aboitiz InfraCapital Chief Executive Officer assigned to MCIA.
A Boost for Local Businesses and Travel
Dr. Cherry Huang, General Manager of Alipay+ Offline Merchant Services at Ant Group, commented on this milestone, saying, “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 in 2020, Alipay+ aims to empower local small and medium-sized businesses by facilitating a wide array of mobile payment methods. This positions them to tap into a vast consumer base of over 1.4 billion, both regionally and globally, through a one-time integration and simple technical adaptation. Alipay+ is not just a Philippine phenomenon; it’s a payment solution widely embraced in several other tourist destinations, including the Chinese mainland, Macao SAR, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, and South Korea.
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With the expansion of Alipay+ in the Philippines, Ant Group is not merely facilitating easier transactions; it is revolutionizing the way the tourism industry interacts with digital payments and the customer experience at large. The addition of AlipayHK, Kakao Pay, and Touch ‘n Go eWallet is a timely move, perfectly aligned with the country’s blossoming tourism sector and the global push towards a more digital, cashless society.
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