Charting a Course in Uncertain Times
Ant International, a trailblazer in digital payment and financial services, recently announced its comprehensive strategy to reinforce an inclusive and sustainable global commerce ecosystem. This strategy was unveiled at the company’s much-anticipated Voyage Conference held at its Singapore headquarters.
Yang Peng, President of Ant International, highlighted the resilience of global merchants amid economic uncertainties. “Despite the uncertainties in the global economy, trends like evolving financial infrastructure, accelerating digitalization and swift advances on the tech frontier present unprecedented opportunities for merchants all around the world seeking to achieve new growth, especially for small businesses who aspire to overcome the digital divide,” Peng stated.
The Four Pillars of Global Inclusion and Prosperity
Yang Peng emphasized the ‘4Ts’ – travel, trade, technology, and talent – as critical elements in fostering global inclusion and prosperity. Ant International is committed to accelerating innovations in digital payment and commerce, enhancing global collaboration in these areas.
Empowering SMEs Through Digital Payment and Commerce Solutions
Ant International has diligently worked towards supporting merchants, especially SMEs, in their growth ambitions. This support is grounded in the company’s robust global compliance and service structure, which boasts extensive coverage, especially in Asia, deep digitalization expertise, and a wealth of advanced technologies.
The company’s current focus revolves around four innovative areas:
- Alipay+ Cross-Border Mobile Payment Service: This service connects over 88 million merchants to 1.5 billion consumer accounts globally. It facilitates seamless cross-border transactions, aiding consumers to travel and pay without worries and enabling merchants to expand their digital marketing and consumer engagement. Douglas L. Feagin, Senior Vice President of Ant Group and Head of Alipay+, shared, “Alipay+ focuses on bridging various payment methods and promoting mobile interoperability across Asia and beyond. Its aim is to enable people to travel and live worry-free, while offering businesses, both large and small, new digital avenues for growth. We are proud of how through Alipay+, tens of millions of even mom-and-pop stalls can reach and transact with international travelers on the same basis as much larger enterprises such as luxury stores.”
- Antom Merchant Payment Services: This service leverages AI-driven payment and digital marketing engines to extend the reach of merchants in Asia and globally, enhancing revenue growth and consumer engagement. Gary Liu, Head of Merchant Payment Services at Ant International, elaborated, “With our AI-driven payment and digital marketing engine, we offer our merchants the broadest consumer reach in Asia and globally, and help them collect payments and grow revenue.”
- WorldFirst Digital Payment and Financial Services: Specifically designed for SMEs engaged in cross-border trade, WorldFirst has aided over 1 million SMEs to grow internationally. The World Account connects small traders to global marketplaces, facilitating secure and swift transactions in over 40 currencies. Clara Shi, CEO of WorldFirst, commented, “With World Account, we aim to help them acquire next-gen CFO capabilities to sell, manage and grow across marketplaces and regions.”
- ANEXT Bank: A digital wholesale bank focusing on SMEs, regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. It supports the financial needs of micro businesses and helps SMEs with their cross-border ambitions. Toh Su Mei, CEO of ANEXT Bank, said, “We recognize the diverse needs of SMEs and believe that the way to alleviate the various stress and spillover effect from the macro environment is to work very closely with industry partners who have a first-hand view of their customers’ pain points.”
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Continuing to Innovate in Digital Technology
Ant International has consistently invested in cutting-edge digital technologies, evolving from supporting e-commerce and tourism in China to developing a range of foundational technologies for long-term growth. These include Wallet Tech, Payment Tech, Credit Tech, Platform Tech, and Risk Tech.
Yang Peng concluded, “Together with our partners, we will build enduring local commitments to bring the world more small and beautiful changes.”
With its comprehensive strategy and innovative solutions, Ant International is poised to redefine the landscape of digital commerce and payment, offering new horizons of opportunity for global merchants.
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