AlipayHK Expands With Cross-Border Payments To Japan And Greater Bay Area

AlipayHK users will soon be able to use the service in parts of Japan and Southern China, the company said on Tuesday (Feb. 26).

The service will be available next month in the Chinese cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou, where AlipayHK customers can use their app in any places that accept Alipay, including theme parks, hotels and retail stores.

In the Japanese city of Fukuoka, AlipayHK users can shop at the popular department-store chain Daimaru Tenjin. Alipay will expand the service to other tourist-friendly locations in Japan in the near future.

The company said this is the first time that any of Alipay’s nine eWallet partners has expanded into cross-border, offline payments. Some of those partners include GCash in the Philippines, Paytm in India and Dana in Indonesia.

“We believe the availability of AlipayHK’s services in the Greater Bay Area will contribute to the regions’ connectivity. In the meantime, our initial presence in Japan shows our commitment to serving Hongkongers as they travel around the world,” said Jennifer Tan, CEO of AlipayHK.

The company said the move offers travelers from Hong Kong “smart, cashless payment experiences in some of their most-frequented destinations,” which has the added benefit of allowing travelers the convenience of not having to change currencies.

In Hong Kong, the service is becoming more commonplace, and AlipayHK announced in November that it was going to start letting subway riders scan their mobile phones to pay for rides, starting in 2020.

The company plans to build a payment system from the ground up using mobile phones, which would get rid of the need to buy tickets or to refill a current subway pass.

“The AlipayHK eWallet can be used at over 25,000 retail outlets in Hong Kong, such as large chain stores, convenience stores, supermarkets, restaurants, wet markets and in taxis,” the company said.