Mastercard and Alipay team up to offer another cashless payment option in China

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Mastercard and Alipay have partnered up to launch a new payment option to arrivals to China by linking any Mastercard card to the Alipay digital wallet, providing another cashless payment method during their visits.

The partnership is built on the results of Mastercard Economics Institute’s fourth annual travel report on travel industry trends in 2023, which showed that the global sector is rebounding, with leisure travel bookings up roughly 31% in March 2023 compared to the same period in 2019, driven by high-income consumers. Mastercard believes that popular travel destinations, including the Chinese mainland, will benefit from this trend.

Expanding on a partnership of enhancing digital payment solutions to consumers and merchants established in 2019, the new partnership aims to offer tourists one more way to pay safely and convenient in China regardless the issue place of the card in the world. Cardholders may link their existing Mastercard credit or debit card to the Alipay digital wallet, while setting up or topping up a prepaid account is not required.

By having the choice to pay cashless, via mobile devices, at locations across the Chinese mainland that accept Alipay, where QR codes are the most popular form of payment, Mastercard cardholders from around the globe will have the option to transact with ease and convenience while in the Chinese mainland.

Through this collaboration, it is expected to give merchants, especially small and medium-sized enterprises more opportunities to transact with visitors who will now have access to the most widely accepted payment method in China.

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Commenting on the partnership, Dennis Chang, executive vice-president and division president, greater China, Mastercard, said: “As travel and tourism rebound, Mastercard is delighted to partner with Alipay to enable cardholders worldwide to enjoy the ultimate in payments security, convenience, and peace of mind as they work, play, rest, and roam during their journeys to the China.”

“We strive to enable more consumers and small and medium-sized enterprises to enjoy the benefits brought by inclusive digital payment services […] The new service offered by Alipay and Mastercard will not only enable a better experience for international travelers when visiting China but will also unlock more business opportunities for merchants on the Alipay open platform as global travel is set for rapid growth,” said Venetia Lee, general manager of Ant Group Greater China international business.

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

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