As official payment sponsor of UEFA EURO 2024™, Alipay+, the cross-border mobile payment and digitalization technology solutions operated by Ant International, and its global partners gears up for an action-packed summer, expanding cross-border mobile payment acceptance and introducing exclusive campaigns with offers and benefits for Alipay+ partner e-wallets’ users in anticipation for the surge in travel.
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Alipay+ is now accepted at the historic KaDeWe department store in Berlin (Photo: Business Wire)
Together with two other Ant International’s brands, Antom merchant payment services and WorldFirst, one-stop digital payment and financial services platform, Alipay+ will appear on LED display boards at the stadiums of the EUROs, and on 50 TV channels across Europe. Alipay+ unveiled Tuesday the Top Scorer trophy will be awarded to the most prolific marksman at the UEFA EURO 2024 finale on July 14 in Berlin, Germany.
In the meantime, through its global merchant network, Alipay+ will celebrate the tournament and summer travel peak with global fans and travelers with convenient payment experience and special benefits.
Welcoming sporting fans and tourists to Europe
As of June 2024, more than 400,000 merchants in Europe now accept mobile payments through Alipay+ from 14 international e-wallets and banking apps. Users of another over 370 banks in Germany and Austria will also be able to pay digitally via a partnership between Alipay+ and Bluecode (Germany and Austria). The Alipay+ partner wallets’ users can make payments across top categories that are key to the travel experience, including department stores like the legendary KaDeWe in Berlin, dm-drogerie markt, a chain of retail stores, convenience stores, airports, duty-free, F&B outlets and attractions.
To enhance merchant acceptance in France this summer, Alipay+ has partnered with local bank Crédit Mutuel to enable Alipay+ acceptance at French retailers, hotels and restaurants including Max Mara and Kids, as well as at over 500 SMEs situated close to the Olympic stadium. Additionally, Alipay+ is now accepted by the number one EU taxi company, G7 to facilitate seamless payments for the tourism surge thanks to the coming Summer Olympic Games in Paris. Printemps, Galeries Lafayette and La Vallee will continue to be popular Alipay+ enabled destinations for global tourists visiting Paris and looking to take home a memorable souvenir.
In other popular European destinations, through a partnership with DNA Payments, more than 50,000 additional UK merchants can now accept Alipay+, on top of Harrods, Liberty London and Selfridges - renowned retail destinations for luxury goods; while in Spain, Alipay+ users can enjoy the best local fare at the famous Boqueria Market Barcelona, which recently accepted Alipay+, or shop their favorite brands with special discounts at department store El Corte Ingles. In Italy, Alipay+ expanded its partnership with Worldline Italia to upgrade all of its Android POS terminals to Alipay+, benefitting Asian tourists visiting thousands of stores, restaurants and tourist attractions across Europe.
Danny Chung, General Manager of Alipay+ Europe, Korea, Middle East, and Mongolia, Ant International adds: “Europe is already a popular destination for global tourists, and we expect this summer to be one of the busiest as sports fans travel from around the world to enjoy the UEFA EUROs and Paris Olympic Games. We hope international visitors enjoy their time in Europe, sampling the cuisine, incredible shopping experiences and exploring hidden local hot-spots for unmissable cultural insights. Alipay+ will enable more merchants to benefit from this unprecedented influx of fans, athletes and tourists via our seamless and convenient mobile payment technology and suit of digital solutions.”
Engaging more fans for UEFA EURO
From February to June, over 2,000 tickets have been distributed to customers and users through a series of campaigns in different markets, dubbed “Goal Beyond”, together with business partners of Ant International.
In Europe, Alipay+ launched a promotional lottery campaign in Italy, France, the Netherlands, UK, Austria and Germany, for fans to win tickets to the matches and over 400 tickets have been distributed to the winners. In addition, German and Austrian fans had the opportunity to win more than 400 tickets, simply by using the Bluecode or ‘One Football’ app to make a payment. Bluecode is a European open QR code payment scheme and the first interoperable payment solution partner in Europe for Alipay+.
In Asia, from early February to late May, Alipay+ and its partner e-wallets have been running campaigns for UEFA EURO 2024, the collaborative network consists of AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR, China), DANA (Indonesia), GCash (The Philippines), Kakao Pay (South Korea), MPay (Macao SAR, China), OCBC Digital (Singapore), Touch 'n Go eWallet (Malaysia), and TrueMoney (Thailand).
These initiatives featured a ticket raffle for UEFA EURO 2024, an in-app football mini-game, vouchers, exchange rate benefits and more for shopping locally or internationally. These promotions reached over 700 million engagements, with 780 tickets being distributed to the lucky-draw winners, 8 million vouchers claimed over the three months, and 1 million participants playing the football mini game in just one month after launch.
WorldFirst, Ant International's one-stop digital payment and financial services platform for global businesses, especially SMEs in international trade, also introduced a similar ticket draw for its merchants. 172 tickets were awarded to the winners, highlighting the platform's dedication to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises.
Asia a hotspot for Summer holidays
Asian destinations in Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea and the Chinese mainland are expected to continue to be amongst the favorite for tourists this summer. Alipay+ has wide acceptance across Asia, with millions of merchants including through its integration with national QRs in Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea, more than 2 million merchants in Japan, and over 80 million merchants in the Chinese mainland.
In Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, Alipay+ partner users of AlipayHK, Touch 'n Go eWallet, GCash and TrueMoney can buy discounted voucher packs to enjoy offers throughout their entire journey from duty-free shops like King Power, Shilla and Eraman to supermarkets like BigC and Cold Storage, and even attractions like Resorts World Sentosa. Alipay+ acceptance continues to grow in Southeast Asia to cover more tourist use cases. For example, from June, the Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) started to accept payments via Alipay+, offering a more convenient way to travel around one of the most popular cities.
In Japan, more than flagship 20 brands across the country are participating in this joint campaign. Users of Alipay+ partner e-wallets will benefit from discounts at about 300,000 merchants including airport shops, department stores, electronics and appliances retailers, health and beauty shops, convenience store chains, and premium shopping malls.
In South Korea, Alipay+ will roll out summer promotions with renowned retail locations - from cosmetics retailers and variety stores to premium outlets and coffeehouses - to make shopping trips more enjoyable. Special offers await users of AlipayHK, GCash, Touch 'n Go eWallet, and TrueMoney at popular shopping hotspots such as Daiso, OliveYoung, Starbucks, Shinsegae Simon Outlets, The Hyundai Seoul and Myeong Dong Commercial Area.
Engaging Chinese tourists and inbound tourists to the Chinese mainland
Merchants around the world are gearing up for an expected surge in outbound travel by Chinese tourists, offering exclusive benefits and more seamless experiences.
Alipay is now available in numerous countries and regions, supporting tourists' needs for dining, shopping, accommodation, transportation and entertainment, with access to various discounts. For instance, in Germany, exclusive discounts are available for Chinese tourists at popular shopping destinations including Rossmann, dm-drogerie markt, Outletcity Metzingen and Galeria.
To meet the mobility needs of travelers, Alipay offers voucher packs for airport transfers, car rentals, and ride hailing services. Tourists can also easily purchase tickets for intercity trains and renowned attractions, or get instant tax refund at airports via Alipay, simplifying the travel logistics.
To attract more international tourists to the Chinese mainland, Alipay+ partnered with five leading international e-wallets including Touch 'n Go eWallet, Kakao Pay, TrueMoney, AlipayHK and MPay to introduce diverse promotional activities. Foreign visitors can make payments either by downloading Alipay App and linking an international bank account or by using their home e-wallets to scan a Alipay+ QR code.
About Ant International
Headquartered in Singapore, Ant International powers the future of global commerce with digital innovation for everyone and every business to thrive. In close collaboration with partners, we support merchants of all sizes worldwide to realize their growth aspirations through a comprehensive range of tech-driven digital payment and financial services solutions.
About Alipay+
Alipay+ is a suite of cross-border mobile payment and digitalization technology solutions that help connect global merchants to consumers. Consumers enjoy seamless payment and a broad choice of deals using their preferred payment methods while travelling abroad. Small and medium-sized businesses may use Alipay+ digital tools to enhance efficiency and achieve omni-channel growth.
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Joshua Way
Joshua.Way@AntGroup.com
