Alipay+, the global wallet gateway of Ant International, has broadened its payments and digital services network.
Travel is viewed as a vital component in local economies. Mobile wallets can boost growth by connecting tourists to businesses. Alipay+ intends to support the travel industry through advanced AI-powered payments and digital services that aid online and offline merchants, tourism partners, and other financial technology firms in delivering customer-focused solutions for travelers.
Enhancing Travel Services
The recent enhancement features three initiatives aimed at global tourism. Firstly, Alipay+ is augmenting its partner network to 40 organizations representing over 1.8 billion users, with cross-border payment acceptance now available in more than 100 countries.
Secondly, the company supports Bluecode, PayPay, and KBank users, enabling them to make payments using their banking and wallet applications while traveling abroad. Additionally, new services have been incorporated into Alipay+’s portfolio, including the AI travel agent, Alipay+ Voyager, which connects with partners such as Trip.com, Agoda, and Grab. There is also Alipay+ GenAI Cockpit, an AI-as-a-Service platform for digital wallets to develop AI-based solutions.
Alipay+ has further extended its Global Blue in-app tax refund services to offer a seamless experience for more partners.
In the first half of 2025, over 6.5 million digital wallet users utilized Alipay+ cross-border payments for the very first time, leading to a 30% increase in transactions among online travel agencies and store merchants. Travelers can now make payments like locals, while businesses reach out to more customers.
The partnership with national payment networks has seen QR code transactions nearly double across regions such as South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka.
Alipay+ Rewards, a local promotions platform within the app, facilitated significant redemptions, increasing by 57% when compared to the first half of 2024. Transactions spent at small businesses under USD 10 also saw a rise of 37%.
In addition to retail spending, travelers are diversifying their experiences, with increasing expenditure on local services such as beauty, medical, and education. For example, payments for K-beauty in South Korea increased by 115% YoY. Solo travel is also gaining traction, with ride-hailing transactions doubling and public transport usage nearly going up by half.
Broader Alipay+ acceptance now allows travelers to explore smaller destinations such as Shikokuchūō in Japan, Jeollabuk-do in South Korea, or Semporna, Malaysia.
