Micro-mobility giant Helbiz announced a partnership with mobile payments platform Alipay, which will allow customers a wider breadth of access to Helbiz’s eScooters, eBikes and other devices for easy riding through Italy.
The partnership, bolstered by Italian financial institution Banca Profilo, will integrate Alipay’s payment functions onto Helbiz’s mobile app. Tinaba, a digital payments solution provider, will facilitate the partnership — which will make sure that customers worldwide have an easy time using the app to access the Helbiz eScooters and eBikes.
Helbiz CEO and Founder Salvatore Palella said the partnership would allow for fun in an environmentally sustainable manner as more people than ever gain access to the products. He added that the union with Alipay showed Helbiz’s commitment to a “cashless world,” and it hopes to progress and become even more sustainable.
Alipay is accepted in more than 55 countries, having partnerships with more than 250 financial institutions and payment solution providers around the world. The app is used by tens of thousands of merchants.
About 20 percent of payments are projected to be made with eWallets by next year. Travel is modernizing as well, with millennials preferring quick, easy payment solutions via app. Alipay has shown itself to be savvy with these eWallets and travel before, such as when it teamed up with French-based Accor for quick payments on hotel bookings.
Over the Lunar New Year holiday, Chinese citizens are expected to travel to Italy, where being able to pay for new transportation options like Helbiz could be an asset. Rodrigo Cipriani Foresio, country manager of Alipay South Europe, said the partnership would make those citizens’ holidays more enjoyable.
As a show of unity, Helbiz will now emblazon its units with Alipay’s logo, along with those of Tinaba and the European Football Championship 2020 — of which Alipay is the main global sponsor. The games will take place in Rome, starting June 12. Helbiz is looking forward to having its vehicles used to ferry guests to and from the football stadium.
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