Alipay Ties Up Deal With Marriott International

The global hotel chain is teaming up with Ant Financial Services Group to rollout Alipay as a payment option at hotels and resorts that fall under the Marriott International brands.

The partnership will allow guests at select hotels to pay for hotel stays and food and beverage purchases, as well as meeting and event bookings, using Alipay, which currently has 400 million registered users and 200 financial institution partners, Marriott confirmed.

“Marriott International is playing a leading role in this seminal transformation within the hospitality sector, which will ultimately allow travelers and meeting planners from China and abroad to pay in a more streamlined, seamless and digital way with their mobile device,” Craig S. Smith, president and managing director of Marriott International, Asia Pacific, said in a company release on Monday (Sept. 7).

“We are delighted to work with Ant Financial Services Group, leveraging the cutting-edge technology of Alipay and its significant 80 percent market share in China,” he added.

Alipay is run by China’s largest payments provider, Alibaba’s Ant Financial Services Group and will be initially available at 10 Marriott International hotels in greater China. Hotel guests will be able to use Alipay by scanning their unique QR code or barcode at checkout or pre-pay before arrival.

Sabrina Peng, president of Ant Financial’s international business unit, said: “Alipay is the future of payments, and our vision is to better serve our users, even when they are traveling. We approached Marriott International because of its strong brand recognition and growth plan in Asia and around the world, making it an ideal partner for Alipay. We see this relationship as the beginning of a deeper collaboration between the two brands, all with the Chinese consumer in mind.”

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