Alipay, a major Chinese payment platform, will enter the European market this summer, according to news released at the Money 2020 event in Copenhagen on April 6. Starting from this summer, Chinese tourists will be able to enjoy the services of Alipay in Britain, Germany, France and Italy.
Besides payment support, Alipay will also provide Chinese outbound tourists with all-around mobile life services. Through its mobile technology, Alipay is able to collect the location of its users and provide information like nearby restaurants, stores and tourist sites. User can also see comments on the businesses or tourist sites made by other users. When it comes time to pay, vendors can simply scan a bar code on the user's phone. These services will certainly improve the travel experience for many Chinese tourists and bring more business to European tourist sites.
In recent years, science and technology giants like Google, Apple and Facebook have all developed mobile payment services. However, Alipay is one step ahead with its general mobile life services.
When delivering his speech at Money 2020, Peng Yijie, president of the business division of Ant Financial, Alipay's parent company, emphasized that Alipay is going to continue expanding its life services support. Ant Financial is actively negotiating with potential partners including financial institutes, restaurants, theaters and so on. After entering the Alipay network, vendors can even access data about the habits of their Chinese customers.
