Alipay+, a cross-border mobile payment digital platform under Ant International, announced a year-end campaign to promote sustainable cross-border travel with a series of incentives offered by global partners to users of five leading e-wallets in Asia, including Alipay (the Chinese mainland), AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR, China), Touch ’n Go eWallet by TNG Digital (Malaysia), GCash (the Philippines), and TrueMoney (Thailand).
The campaign, which will last till December 31, will first be launched for the destinations of Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. Travelers will enjoy a wide array of special offers curated in collaboration with global industry leaders, including ComfortDelGro Taxi, Daimaru Matsuzakaya, Galaxy Macau, King Power, and Lotte Duty Free, as well as local small and micro-sized enterprises (SMEs), including Durian BB in Malaysia and IJOOZ in Singapore, creating a diverse and inclusive selection for travelers.
Supporting Responsible Travel
Ant International is committed to promoting sustainable and responsible tourism across its Alipay+ markets, with an ESG program closely aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The campaign features special offers from Alipay+ and partners to encourage sustainable travel behavior, such as free overseas mobile data packages, in-app discounts across Alipay+’s extensive merchant network, and opportunities to win 100% rebates at partner stores. Travelers are also rewarded for using more digital payments instead of cash, choosing public transportations over cars, travelling with own toothbrushes instead of using disposable ones, as well as visiting more diverse local destinations to support communities’ economies and preserving local cultures.
Dr Cherry Huang, General Manager of Alipay+ Offline Merchant Services, Ant International said, “Our year-end campaign is not just about travel; it’s about making a positive impact. By collaborating with partners who share our commitment to sustainability, we are offering travelers the chance to explore the world responsibly.”
Digital payment increases international tourism revenue to local SMEs. In 2023, while Alipay expanded cooperation with major international card organizations to facilitate foreign cardholders visiting China, Alipay+ brought 10 Asian e-wallets and banking apps into the Chinese mainland to serve their travelling users, a landmark in international expansion of these leading payment methods. As a result, in 2023, over three million merchants in China, including mom-and-pop shops, closed their first international transactions on Alipay+.
With travel booming between the southern part of the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR, a total of 220 leading merchants in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong province also joined the year-end promotion campaign to attract AlipayHK and mPay users with discount packages worth as much as HK$14,000 (about 1,793 US dollar).
To monitor the ESG impact of the campaign, Alipay+ will collaborate with the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), and an advisory group consisting of experts from Tsinghua University, Hong Kong University, University of Geneva University and the Northwestern University to measure travelers’ carbon footprint reduction, the impact on local businesses, culture and communities, as well as the impact on business best practices in the ecosystem.
Bruce Zhang, CEO of IJOOZ, a juice vending machine provider in Singapore said, “Every year, IJOOZ generates huge amounts of orange pulps and peels. We recycle orange waste, turning them into valuable resources for making new products. We are happy to join hands with Alipay+ to promote sustainable travel among global tourists visiting Singapore.”
Alipay+ in 2023: A Year of Expanded Growth and Partnerships
Since its launch in 2020, Alipay+, a suite of cross-border payment and marketing solutions, has expanded to connect over 88 million merchants in 57 markets to 1.5 billion payment accounts of over 25 digital wallets, banking apps and Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) apps.
In the second half of 2023, Alipay+ recorded an estimated 30% increase in total payment volume (TPV) compared to the first six months, and over 70% increase in daily average transactions (DAT). Excluding Alipay, the TPV and DAT of cross-border payments of the rest of Alipay+ partner wallets increased by some 280% and 230% respectively in the second half of 2023.
In terms of transaction volume in 2023, AlipayHK, Kakao Pay, Touch ’n Go eWallet and GCash are among the top 4 most popular Alipay+ partner wallets used by cross-border travelers, aside from Alipay itself. Touch ’n Go eWallet, mPay and TrueMoney are ranked top 3 based on month-on-month (MoM) increase of transaction volume in November 2023. As a result, merchants in the Chinese mainland, Macao SAR, Japan, South Korea and Singapore benefited the most from the surge in cross-border mobile payment.
Alan Ni, CEO of TNG Digital, operator of Touch ’n Go eWallet, said: “Tourism is an important contributor to the local economy, and TNG Digital is committed to making a positive difference with our product and services, especially to encourage sustainable travel. Touch ’n Go eWallet cross-border payments in the Chinese mainland have grown by more than 100% month-on-month in 2023. With that, we are hopeful that with our small gesture, we can create a path for others to follow.”
