American Express (NYSE: AXP) and Alipay announced a feature aimed at enhancing payment convenience for travelers in China.
Eligible global American Express Card Members can link their Cards to the Alipay digital wallet, enabling payments at merchants across the Chinese mainland.
This initiative simplifies transactions for travelers and “provides local businesses with opportunities to attract international customers.”
Cyril Han Xinyi, President of Ant Group said:
“Travel is an essential link for global connectivity and shared prosperity. We are thrilled to expand our collaboration with leading industry innovators like American Express, continuously developing a vibrant and mutually beneficial ecosystem. Through consistent breakthroughs in innovation, we aim to help small businesses achieve cross-border growth and enable people to deepen cultural understanding and mutual trust through safe and convenient travel experiences.”
Yamin Zhu, Chief Executive Officer of Express (Hangzhou) Technology Service Company (Express Company), a joint venture of American Express in China:
“Our integration with Alipay reinforces our commitment to providing solutions that help make it easier for residents and inbound travelers alike to spend with local merchants in China.”
American Express is the foreign payments network “licensed to clear Renminbi transactions” in the Chinese mainland.
Through its Express Company JV, it has partnered with Chinese banks, third-party payment institutions and mobile wallet operators to “enable Card Members to use their American Express Cards at millions of merchants in China.”
With the integration with American Express, international visitors can now use “seven card brands from major global card networks in China through Alipay.”
Alipay is a digital wallet partner of Alipay+, “a unified wallet gateway which is developed by Ant International.”
With Alipay+, users of Alipay and 12 other e-wallets and payment apps in Asia can “pay at tens of millions of merchants across China.”
Jiang-Ming Yang, Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) of Ant International said:
“Facilitating inbound digital payments into China through Alipay+ is a testament to Ant International’s commitment to pushing the frontier of digital innovation beyond borders and resource gaps. These innovations are paving the way for a seamless cross-border consumption experience, empowering SMEs to connect effortlessly with global travelers.”
American Express is a globally integrated payments company, providing customers with “access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success.”
As the world becomes more digital, Alipay has evolved from an e-wallet into an all-in-one digital platform “for daily services, connecting more than one billion consumers to over 80 million merchants across China.”
Alipay claims it offers users a seamless mobile payment experience and integrates “over 10,000 services across sectors like travel, healthcare, tourism, and entertainment.”
With digital tools like Alipay Tap!, mini-programs, lifestyle accounts, Alipay says that “enables merchants, institutions, and independent software vendors (ISVs) to enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness.”
In addition, Alipay is developing an AI-driven open platform by integrating AI agents to “deliver smarter, more personalized services to its users as well as facilitating the digital transformation of the service sector.”
