- Transactions powered by Alipay+ in Japan rose over 200% during the first three weeks of March, compared with the same period last year;
- Consumption via 16 Alipay+ partner e-wallets and bank apps in is estimated to account for10% of total spending among users in Japan;
- Alipay, AlipayHK, Kakao Pay, Touch 'n Go eWallet, GCash and TrueMoney are among the most popular e-wallets used by travelers to Japan, while MPay, Naver Pay and Toss areseeing rapid growth in transactions;
- Alipay+ has been working with over 40 local acquiring partners to connect and servicemerchants
As merchants in Japan gear up to receive cherry blossom tourists across fromaround the world, Ant International announced that its cross-border mobile payment solution Alipay+ has connected two million merchants across the country, enabling businesses, big or small, to better serve global visitors through a seamless payment experience with their homecountry e-wallets.
There are 16 e-wallets and bank apps accepted in Japan via Alipay+, a suite of cross-border digitalpayment and digitalization technology solutions, namely Alipay (Chinese mainland), AlipayHK(Hong Kong SAR China), MPay (Macao SAR China), South Korea’s Kakao Pay, Naver Pay and Toss, Singapore’s OCBC Digital, Changi Pay and EZ-Link, Malaysia’s Touch ‘n Go eWallet and MyPB by Public Bank Berhad, the Philippines’ GCash and HelloMoney, TrueMoney (Thailand),Hipay (Mongolia), and Tinaba (Italy).
Powered by Alipay+, transaction volume made by e-wallets and bank apps in Japan jumped over 200% in the first three weeks of March, compared with the same period in 2023. Transactionvalue is estimated to account for about 10% of total spending among users during their stay in thecountry, Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International, said during a press conference inTokyo.
Among all, Alipay, AlipayHK, Kakao Pay, Touch ‘n Go eWallet, GCash and TrueMoney are among the most popular e-wallets used by travelers to Japan, while MPay, Naver Pay and Tossare seeing rapid growth in transactions.
Mr. Feagin said, “We are grateful to our over 40 local acquiring partners in Japan, including both big institutions as well as small ones that only have several employees, for their tremendoussupport to promote a seamless, transparent and efficient experience together for local businessesand international travelers.
“By working with these partners, Alipay+ provides global tourists with a seamless digital payment experience that is the same as in their own markets. Without any extra efforts, tourists can make purchases by simply scanning the QR code at merchants of all size, without worryingabout foreign currency exchange or any language barriers.”
In Asakusa, a vibrant neighborhood and popular tourist destination with small souvenir shops andsnack stalls, an increasing number of merchants are leveraging the simplicity of QR code to dobusinesses. The monthly cross-border mobile transaction volume is more than 5 times higher on average.
At Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores, a flagship department store chain in Japan,transaction volume made by Alipay+ partner e-wallets and bank apps rose over 10 times in the firsttwo months of this year, compared with the same period last year.
Mr. Akito Kimura, Manager of Inbound Business Division for Daimaru MatsuzakayaDepartment Stores, said, “Starting with connecting Alipay to make Chinese customers more athome, we are pleased to expand our partnership with Ant International by integrating with Alipay+. This will allow us to accommodate the preferred payment methods of our international customersthrough simple integration. We look forward to working together to drive more innovation, ensuringall customers can enjoy a memorable and peace-of-mind shopping experience at our stores.”
Ms. Venetia Lee, CEO of AlipayHK, said, “Japan is the first foreign destination of AlipayHK as it isone of the most favorite travel destinations for the Hong Kong residents. Powered by Alipay+, HongKong people can now use AlipayHK to make purchases at local stores and use car-hailing inJapan, which are settled in Hong Kong dollars with competitive exchange rates in the market. Withthe increasing acceptance of Alipay+ among local merchants in Japan, the daily transaction valuesand volumes of AlipayHK in the country in the first quarter have surged 3.5 times and 5 times overthe previous quarter. I am confident that the usage of AlipayHK will continue to grow in Japan onthe back of the strong adoption of Alipay+ services among the Japanese merchants.”
Mr. Ren-Ren Reyes, president and CEO of GXI (G-Xchange, Inc.), the mobile wallet operator of GCash said, "Our long-standing partnership with Alipay+ has allowed us to be anindispensable companion for Filipino travelers in now 47 countries and territories around the world.We are glad to continue strengthening our collaboration with Alipay+ to ensure every Filipino has aseamless and secure cashless payment option when they travel abroad."
Mr. Won-Keun Shin, the CEO of Kakao Pay, a major acquirer in South Korea, said, “We areglad that users can easily and conveniently pay with Kakao Pay at 2 million large and small merchants in Japan, one of the most visited countries by Korean tourists. Through discussions with Alipay+ as well as several e-wallet partners representing each country, we will accelerate global expansionand provide more benefits.”
Mr. John Sun, Chairman and CEO of Macau Pass, stated, “As the leading mobile payment e-wallet in Macao, MPay, together with Alipay+ which has launched a suite of innovative digitalcross-border solutions, strives to create a smart e-wallet that facilitates Macao residents to travelglobally, this could also solve the issues they encounter with payment while travelling overseas, thusimprove travelers' payment and shopping experience. MPay will continue to expand in e-payments, lifestyle services, and marketing technology services to develop more open anddiversified intelligent payment business scenarios.”
Mr. Alan Ni, Chief Executive Officer of TNG Digital Sdn. Bhd., the operator of TNGeWallet, said, “As Malaysia's top eWallet provider, we're committed to serving users locally andexpanding globally. Our partnership with Alipay+ has seen transactions surge sixfold this year, specifically in Japan, a true testament to our dedication to innovative payment solutions. Withover half of Malaysia entrusting TNG eWallet as their preferred digital payment and financialservices provider, we aim to be the ultimate travel companion, ensuring easy and safe transactionswherever our users go.”
Ms. Monsinee Nakapanant, Co-President of Ascend Money, the operator of TrueMoneysaid, “Japan ranks as one of the most popular destinations with approximately 1 million Thai travelers each year. We are pleased to work with Alipay+ to create more inclusive cross- borderpayments and enable Thais to enjoy safe, real-time, and cost-effective payments with theiraccustomed home wallet TrueMoney. Enabling the travelers to connect with Japanese merchants of all sizes will also expand their experiences of local culture and people that would make theirtrip more memorable.”
Introduced by Ant International in 2020, Alipay+ now connects over 88 million merchants in 57countries and regions to 1.5 billion consumer accounts on over 25 e-wallets and bank apps,allowing consumers to travel and pay hassle-free globally, and merchants to build out cross-borderconsumer engagement and digital marketing.
The service builds on Alipay+’s extensive regional partnerships, including those with national QR schemes including Singapore’s SGQR, Malaysia’s PayNet, South Korea’s ZeroPay, Sri Lanka's LankaPay and Cambodia's KHQR.