With 30 days left until the Asian Games, international card networks like Visa, Mastercard, JCB, and Discover® Global Network are launching a significant campaign with Alipay, China’s top digital payment and lifestyle service platform, to improve the mobile payment and travel experiences of foreign visitors.
When making purchases with their Alipay account linked to a Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Discover®, or Diners Club International® international card at Chinese mainland merchants within the vast Alipay merchant network during the Asian Games, foreign visitors can take advantage of the campaign, which will run from September 15 to October 31, 2023.
In order to improve its payment service for overseas travelers, Alipay has partnered with international card networks since 2022. After downloading the Alipay app, foreign visitors can register and link a Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Discover, or Diners Club credit or debit card to pay at any of the tens of millions of Alipay partner merchant locations throughout China, including eateries, cafes, tourist attractions, shopping centers, street vendors, and public transportation. The Alipay app has recently enhanced travel services for visitors from outside China.
“Visa is glad to work with Alipay to provide in-bound international travelers with convenient and seamless mobile payment experiences, as the international tourism market continues to recover,” said Shirley Yu, Group General Manager at Visa Greater China. Visa is dedicated to facilitating the acceleration of the global travel recovery, which entails increased tourism-related spending in regional economies and more cross-border and international human interactions via travel.
“Mastercard affirms its commitment to the China market, as well as to its mission of powering economies and empowering people, through its continued partnership with Alipay,” said Dennis Chang, Executive Vice President and Division President, Greater China, of Mastercard. Mastercard is excited to collaborate with its partners to offer improved digital payment solutions that answer the changing needs of foreign travelers and allow cardholders globally to pay like a local, ensuring peace of mind during their journey, while travel and tourism are on the upswing.
The most recent Mastercard data insights indicate that consumer spending has held steady, with a sustained emphasis on experiences and travel. Globally, cross-border travel was strong during the second quarter of 2023, reaching 154% of 2019 levels, an increase of 6% over the first quarter. The inbound cross-border travel market in China is also expanding at the same time.
President of JCB International China, Osamu Hino, stated: “We are happy to cooperate with Alipay to offer JCB Card holders worldwide convenient, safe, and secure mobile payment services in the Chinese mainland. Together with Alipay, we will continue to strengthen payment technology and services, investigate more opportunities in the payment space, and provide customers with more flexible and convenient payment options in the wave of digitization.
“We greatly improve shopping convenience and accessibility for our cherished cardholders from around the world by partnering with Alipay, the leading digital payment and services platform in China,” said Chris Winter, managing director of international markets for Asia Pacific at Discover Global Network. With the help of this collaboration, tourists can easily discover China’s wonders while also getting a taste of the vibrant local culture. They may buy, eat, and go on thrilling expeditions. We are committed to making sure that every second of our cardholders’ time in China is packed with enjoyable activities, convenient payment options, and special memories.
In order to support the Asian Games, we are thrilled to collaborate with card networks, other organizations, and retailers. The project demonstrates our dedication to creating a digital financial inclusion ecosystem that improves consumers’ worldwide payment experiences and promotes the expansion of domestic and international trade, according to Peng Yang, President of Ant Group’s International Business Group. We anticipate enhancing this collaborative environment through new innovations in cross-border payments, the empowerment of SME owners, and sustainability initiatives.
Source- Travel daily
Link- https://www.traveldailymedia.com/international-card-networks-partner-with-alipay-for-asian-games/