ComfortDelGro ties up with Alipay+ to accept mobile payments from MY and Korea

ComfortDelGro Taxi and Alipay+ have tied up to enable mobile payments from Malaysia's Touch 'n Go eWallet and South Korea's Kakao Pay as cashless payment options in all its Comfort and CityCab taxis. The joint effort sees to enhance seamless and smart digital travel experience, as Singapore progressively opens up and tourists return to the country as a travel destination. 

With this partnership, users of these mobile wallets can pay for the cab fare through the wallet apps without the need to exchange currency. Touch 'n Go is also offering its eWallet users instant discounts off the total fare when they pay for their rides using their Touch 'n Go eWallet App, until 25 June. According to the taxi brand, the discounts will vary in different weeks, and are limited to the first 300 transactions daily. 

ComfortDelGro Taxi’s CEO, Jackson Chia said: “With Singapore reopening its borders, we are looking forward to having tourists come visit us. As such, our partnership with Alipay+ is a vital one as it allows cashless payment options such as Malaysia’s Touch ‘n Go eWallet and soon South Korea’s Kakao Pay available on board ComfortDelGro taxis, making it more convenient for both Malaysian and South Korean tourists to pay for taxi fares." He added that this will save them the hassle of having to have ready cash in local currency, as they will be able to pay the fares upfront on their own Touch ‘n Go eWallet or Kakao Pay App. 

Cherry Huang, general manager, Global Merchant Partnership, South and Southeast Asia, Ant Group, explained that transportation is an essential daily need, and taxi of all modes of transportation is even more important especially to travellers. "Through the support and collaboration with ComfortDelGro Taxi, we aim to deliver to all users of mobile payments supported by Alipay+ a seamless and smart digital travel experience in Singapore, where they can pay with mobile wallets they are familiar with," she said. Huang added that the partnership comes at a great time, as Singapore opens up its borders and welcomes tourists back in the city state. The brand believes that this is the perfect moment for tourists to reimagine travel experience post pandemic. 

The number of visitors to Singapore in the first four months of 2022 has exceeded figures for the whole of 2021, where Malaysia is ranked third among the top countries where most tourists are from, Singapore Tourism Board said. Additionally, South Korea is also an important traveller source market for Singapore, where in pre-pandemic times, the country was ranked ninth out of the top 15 visitor source markets in 2019. 

According to the Singapore taxi operator brand, ComfortDelGro Taxi has a combined fleet of about 9,000 Comfort and CityCab taxis. Apart from cash payment, all ComfortDelGro Taxis support about 20 different cashless payment methods. 

Meanwhile, Alipay+ is a suite of global cross-border digital payments and marketing solutions designed to enable businesses, especially small and medium-sized businesses, to process a wide range of mobile payment methods and reach one billion regional and global consumers. Alipay+ supports other e-wallets such as Alipay HK in Hong Kong, GCash in Philippines, and TrueMoney in Thailand. 

Separately, CofmfortDelGro integrated its Zig app on to the ComfortDelGro platform earlier this year. It informed its users that Zig is moving under ComfortDelGro’s booking app and enticed new sign-ups to enjoy a SG$5 taxi promo code. The move came after Zig’s establishment in the Singapore market a year ago. During its launch, the app touted an interactive map-based interface to allow users to search for lifestyle services. Additionally, it also enabled users to make reservations at dining venues, purchase tickets to entertainment outlets and attractions, and plan journeys from one point to another. 

In April, the company also reviewed the "Z" logo on its recently rebranded mobile app, following feedback that "Z" is a pro-war symbol of President Putin's invasion of Ukraine. The brand posted a statement on its Facebook page, acknowledging that the letter "Z" has also been used by the Russian army on its tanks during the Ukrainian invasion. "We acknowledge that the timing of the app relaunch comes on the heels of the ongoing war and may have come across as insensitive. We would like to apologise if we have offended anyone. It was certainly not our intent," the brand said then. As for the rebrand in April, its taxi booking app was relaunched as CDG Zig, and the app appeared on users’ phones as a stylised “Z” icon. 

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