Alipay, the world’s largest mobile payment and lifestyle platform operated by Ant Financial Services Group, and SM Mall of Asia, one of Manila’s largest shopping malls, announced that they have inked a long-term partnership to have Alipay acceptance points present in all stores.
Through the partnership, SM Mall of Asia intends to attract more tourists and enhance their shopping experience. To date, close to half of the stores have installed Alipay acceptance points. SM Mall of Asia plans to complete the mall-wide installation over the next three to six months.
To kick-off the partnership, Alipay and SM Mall of Asia will be offering a special promotion to Alipay users. From the 1 July to 31 August 2019, shoppers who use Alipay will receive a 30 RMB (PHP 200) discount on every 600 RMB (PHP 4,393) spent, subject to terms and conditions.
SM Mall of Asia is the centerpiece project of SM Prime, located in the Bay City Area in Pasay City, which is among the fastest-growing commercial zoning areas in metropolitan Manila. It has recently been the beneficiary of billions of dollars of investments aimed at developing it into a central lifestyle and business district. Aside from SM Mall of Asia, it is also home to Aseana City, an integrated mixed-use central business district and Entertainment City with plenty of casinos, amusement parks, hotels and resorts.
As one of the largest malls in the Philippines and in the world, SM Mall of Asia is home to an extensive range of shopping, dining and entertainment experiences. Following the current mall expansion efforts which includes the opening of a Duty Free Philippines Corporation (DPFC) luxury multilevel store, tourist numbers are expected to grow faster. Mall of Asia partners with Alipay, the market leader in mobile and online payment platforms, to offer shoppers with seamless payment experience and to elevate shopper engagement.
“SM Mall of Asia is a must-visit shopping destination among tourists who enjoy the wide array of shopping and dining offerings and unique amenities. We are happy to partner with SM Mall of Asia to deploy Alipay acceptance points in the mall for shoppers who are looking for the best of retail and lifestyle offerings and the same seamless shopping experiences that they enjoy at home. At the same time, we are very excited to help merchants in SM Mall of Asia connect with tourists before they’ve even arrived in the Philippines through our platform’s marketing capabilities,” said Cherry Huang, General Manager, Cross-border Business for South and Southeast Asia, Alipay.
Since establishing its presence in the Philippines in late 2017, the number of Alipay acceptance points has grown exponentially across retail, hospitality and entertainment attractions. Aside from Manila, Alipay acceptance points are available in over six provinces in the Philippines that are frequented by Chinese tourists, including Cebu, Davao, Palawan, Bohol and Boracay.
According to the Philippines Department of Trade and Industry, international tourist arrivals to the Philippines rose by 7.7% to 7.1 million visitors in 2018 compared to the previous year. China contributed 1,255,258 visitors to the country, representing a 30% growth from the previous year. This puts China on track to surpass South Korea, which currently contributes the most visitors to the country. In addition, over 3.12 million Chinese citizens have also taken up residence in the Philippines since January 2016.
