Ant Group, Mastercard, and Partners Extend International Consumer Friendly Zones Program to Facilitate Inbound Travel to China
03 Julio 2024 - 8:36AM
Business Wire
--International Consumer Friendly Zones program expands to
Chengdu and Chongqing following successful launches in Beijing,
Guangzhou, and Shanghai.
--Ant Group partners with major international card networks and
leading Asian e-wallets to enhance digital payment experience for
inbound travelers to China.
Ant Group and Mastercard, along with 12 overseas payment
partners of Alipay+ and other major international card
organizations, have extended the International Consumer Friendly
Zones program to major Western Chinese cities of Chengdu and
Chongqing, as inbound travel to the region rises driven by
continued growth of international tourism and trade.
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The International Consumer Friendly Zones
program enhances payment convenience for inbound travelers by
placing bilingual payment signage at primary shopping areas, local
restaurants, and transport hubs in major Chinese cities. (Photo:
Business Wire)
Chengdu and Chongqing have become prominent attractions for
international visitors. Both cities secured spots among the top ten
inbound tourism destinations in the first quarter of 2024. With the
support of local government departments, the International
Consumer Friendly Zones program will be rolled out to a total
of over 60 primary shopping areas, renowned tourist attractions as
well as the international airports and high-speed railway stations
in the two cities. The participating merchants will enhance payment
signage visibility to clearly inform customers about the array of
digital payment methods supported by Ant Group and its
partners.
Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province renowned for its giant
pandas, witnessed 410,000 entries and exits of foreign nationals in
the first five months of 2024, marking an increase of more than
five times compared to the previous year. Similarly, the number of
foreign arrivals at the international airport of Chongqing, known
as the Mountain City of China, saw a sixfold increase in the first
quarter compared to the previous quarter.
The two cities, which are connected by rapid train ride of just
over an hour, have also become popular destinations for Association
of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) visitors to China. ASEAN was the
largest trading partner of Sichuan in 2023. The Chongqing
Connectivity Initiative is the third Government-to-Government
project between China and Singapore and the only one to be
established in western China.
In the first half of 2024, spending by international visitors in
Chengdu and Chongqing via digital payment methods supported by Ant
Group and its partners increased 13 times on year. Among e-wallet
partners of Alipay+, a suite of cross-border mobile payment and
digitalization technology solutions under Ant International,
AlipayHK, Touch 'n Go eWallet (Malaysia), and TrueMoney (Thailand)
ranked top three in terms of visitor transaction volume.
Additionally, the number of merchants in both cities accepting
payments from international visitors via Alipay+ grew more than
five times year-on-year.
Ant Group now offers 2 mobile payment alternatives for
international visitors in China. Alipay+ enables international
visitors to pay with their home e-wallets across China. Alipay+
supports 12 leading e-wallets and payment apps in Asia for use
across an 80-million-strong merchant network in China, including
AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR, China), Kaspi.kz (Kazakhstan), MPay (Macao
SAR, China), Touch 'n Go eWallet (Malaysia), Hipay (Mongolia),
NayaPay (Pakistan), Changi Pay (Singapore), OCBC Digital
(Singapore), Kakao Pay (South Korea), Naver Pay (South Korea), Toss
Pay (South Korea), and TrueMoney (Thailand).
The other option allows visitors to bind major international
bank cards -- Mastercard, Visa, JCB, Discover®, and Diners Club
International -- to the Alipay app, enabling access to a rich array
of local Alipay services, including shopping, dining, ride-hailing
to public transportation, without needing a mainland China bank
account or phone number.
Following the initial rollout of the program in Beijing and
subsequent expansion to Guangzhou and Shanghai earlier this year,
Ant Group has been working intimately with partners to improve
digital payment options' accessibility and ease of use for
international travellers as inbound travel continues to recover.
The China Tourism Academy expects inbound travel to the country to
reach 80% of the pre-pandemic level in 2024, citing factors
including the expansion of China’s visa-waiver policies to more
countries as well as the gradual resumption of international
flights.
About Ant Group
Ant Group traces its roots back to Alipay, which was established
in 2004 to create trust between online sellers and buyers. Over the
years, Ant Group has grown to become one of the world's leading
open Internet platforms. Through technological innovation, Ant
Group supports its partners in providing inclusive, convenient
digital life and digital financial services to consumers and SMEs.
In addition, it has been introducing new technologies and products
to support the digital transformation of industries and facilitate
industrial collaboration. Working together with global partners,
the company enables merchants and consumers to make and receive
payments and remit around the world.
About Mastercard (NYSE: MA)
Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments
industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital
economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions
safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks,
partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help
individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses
realize their greatest potential. With connections across more than
210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world
that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.
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Martin Mou, mouxu.mx@antgroup.com