American Express and Alipay today announced a new feature aimed at enhancing payment convenience for international travelers in China. All eligible global American Express Card Members1 can now link their Cards to the Alipay digital wallet, enabling seamless and secure payments at tens of millions of merchants across the Chinese mainland. This initiative not only simplifies transactions for travelers but also provides local businesses with greater opportunities to attract international customers.
“Our collaboration with Alipay helps advance our commitment to providing an exceptional experience to American Express Card Members traveling to and within China. By integrating with Alipay’s digital wallet, we are empowering our Card Members with more ways to transact and connect with a vast network of merchants across China,” said Mohammed Badi, President of Global Network Services at American Express.
“Travel is an essential link for global connectivity and shared prosperity. We are thrilled to expand our collaboration with leading industry innovators like American Express, continuously developing a vibrant and mutually beneficial ecosystem. Through consistent breakthroughs in innovation, we aim to help small businesses achieve cross-border growth and enable people to deepen cultural understanding and mutual trust through safe and convenient travel experiences,” said Cyril Han Xinyi, president of Ant Group.
“Our integration with Alipay reinforces our commitment to providing solutions that help make it easier for residents and inbound travelers alike to spend with local merchants in China,” said Yamin Zhu, Chief Executive Officer of Express (Hangzhou) Technology Service Company (“Express Company”), a joint venture of American Express in China.
American Express is the first foreign payments network to be licensed to clear Renminbi transactions in the Chinese mainland. Through its Express Company joint venture, it has partnered with more than 30 leading Chinese banks, third-party payment institutions and mobile wallet operators to enable Card Members to use their American Express Cards at millions of merchants in China.
1American Express Cards issued by third parties outside of the Chinese mainland are currently not eligible to be added to the Alipay Digital Wallet.
With the integration with American Express, international visitors can now use seven card brands from major global card networks in China through Alipay. Alipay is a digital wallet partner of Alipay+, a unified wallet gateway which is developed by Ant International. With Alipay+, users of Alipay and 12 other leading e-wallets and payment apps in Asia can conveniently pay at tens of millions of merchants across China.
“Facilitating inbound digital payments into China through Alipay+ is a testament to Ant International’s commitment to pushing the frontier of digital innovation beyond borders and resource gaps. These innovations are paving the way for a seamless cross-border consumption experience, empowering SMEs to connect effortlessly with global travelers,” said Jiang-Ming Yang, Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) of Ant International.
