Alipay, the digital payment service run by financial technology giant Ant Group, has updated its app's international interface to support overseas travellers to China, including facilitating credit card purchases made via Visa, Mastercard, Diners Club, Discover and JCB.
The update was made ahead of the 2023 Asian Games to be held in Hangzhou, capital of eastern Zhejiang province, from September 23 to October 8, according to Ant's announcement on Thursday at this year's edition of its Alipay Partner Conference.
Holders of those popular credit cards are encouraged to register and link their card information with Alipay so that they can make payments to tens of millions of merchants across China via its app, which is a ubiquitous digital settlement platform nationwide along with Tencent Holdings' WeChat Pay.
Ant, an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding, initially announced in June its plan for Alipay to support overseas travellers who use those major credit cards issued by foreign financial services providers. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.
"We will continue to optimise our products and services to better serve international visitors to China by enhancing their travel experience with convenient mobile payment services," Jin Yaoyao, Alipay's product lead in charge of its app's international version, said in a statement on Thursday. "We also encourage more merchants and service providers operating digitally on the Alipay platform to enhance their services for international travellers."
Alipay's latest initiative underscores efforts in China to make it easier for foreign tourists and the country's less tech-savvy elderly population to integrate into a cashless society, in which contactless payment has become the norm.
That digital payment support comes at a time when China faces "huge difficulties" in inbound tourism, months after the country reopened its borders to foreign tourists in March.
Hangzhou, for example, is desperate for overseas travellers amid a slowdown in inbound tourism. The eastern city, one of mainland China's top tourist destinations, has accommodated 53 million visitors in the first half of this year, but the number of cross-border travellers - both inbound and outbound - via its international airport reached only 877,000 in the same period.
The Alipay app's updated international interface now provides multiple language options and an easy-to-use translation tool, according to the Ant announcement. It also integrates travel services, including hotel and air-ticket booking, ride-hailing, public transport and exchange rate comparisons.
The updated version also includes services related to the Asian Games through the "Smart Hangzhou" mini-program, Ant said.
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