BillEase partners with Agoda and Alipay+ to provide flexible travel experiences

Philippine-based consumer finance app BillEase is now available as a payment option on Agoda, a global digital travel platform, giving Filipino travellers the ability to pay in instalments even without a credit card. This integration was made possible by Alipay+, Ant Group's global cross-border digital payments and marketing solution.

The collaboration comes as the Philippines' sees international and domestic travel recover post pandemic. In the first quarter of 2023, BillEase recorded an over 26 time increase in buy now, pay later (BNPL) transactions in the travel category as compared to the first quarter of 2022. Meanwhile, The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) also reported a 158% increase in passenger traffic in the first quarter of 2023 when compared to the same period in the previous year.

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With the new collaboration, Filipinos who book their next hotel, flight, or local activity on Agoda can pay using BillEase's Pay Later or installment options. By using BillEase as a checkout option on both Agoda's web and app platforms, travellers can split the total cost of purchases into bi-weekly or monthly payments for as little as 0% interest, or the market's lowest interest rate for up to 12 months of installments. 

Commenting on the collaboration, Georg Steiger, chief executive officer and co-founder of BillEase, said, “It empowers consumers to get back into the world of travel on their own terms, providing them with more financial flexibility and control. This way, they can begin to explore, reconnect, and create new memories without being burdened by the financial pressure of paying for their booking all at once.”

Echoing his statement, Peng Yang, vice president and head of Alipay+, Ant Group, also expressed his anticipation to further the brand’s collaboration with BillEase as its first BNPL partner in the country. “The collaboration offers Filipinos more payment flexibility at a global online travel platform like Agoda. Catering to consumers’ diverse preferences for payments is now imperative for merchants. This is especially so in the Philippines and wider Southeast Asia, where consumers have become much more accustomed to digital lifestyles, with a growing preference for digital payments like e-wallets and BNPL. We look forward to working with more partners to reach these consumers and better serve their needs,” said Yang.

Earlier this year, BillEase announced its partnership with Alipay+. The brand was also the first BNPL provider to partner with Alipay+. BillEase and Alipay+ hope to revolutionise the digital payment landscape by utilising BillEase's consumer credit solutions. Filipino BillEase app users can now use Alipay+ to make online purchases at global merchants and pay in light, card-free instalments via BillEase.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to BillEase for more information. 

The growth of BNPL services have been going strong in the Philippines. According to a report released by Research and Markets ,BNPL payments in the country are expected to increase by 80.2% per year, reaching US$1,505.6 million in 2022. The medium to long term growth story of the BNPL industry in the Philippines remains positive. The country's BNPL Gross Merchandise Value will rise from US$835.6 million in 2021 to US$9,903.2 million by 2028. 

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