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February 6, 2019
On the web
7-Eleven expands mobile payment options – Canadian Business Franchise
Canadian Business Franchise
“Retail franchisor 7-Eleven has announced it will now accept Chinese mobile payment systems Alipay and WeChat Pay. These mobile payment options are currently available at 35 select locations in Vancouver and Toronto, with plans for expansion in the next few months.”
January 10, 2019
On the web
Alipay’s Vancouver head office scores major advances in Canada
Business Vancouver
“While Alipay has grown rapidly in its first year of Canadian operations, the Chinese e-payment giant plans to focus on the spending patterns of tourists, students and other consumers from China, rather than potential local consumers.”
November 20, 2018
On the wires
7-Eleven Becomes First Convenience Retailer Chain in Canada to Accept Alipay and WeChat Pay
“Today, 7-Eleven Inc. announced that participating stores in Canada will now accept Chinese mobile payment systems Alipay and WeChat Pay. The world’s largest convenience retailer is collaborating with cross-border mobile payment company and market leader CITCON. Alipay and WeChat Pay will now be available at 35 select locations in Vancouver and Toronto, with plans for expansion in next few months.”
October 12, 2018
On the web
China’s Alipay says stolen Apple IDs behind thefts of users’ money
Reuters
“Ant Financial’s Alipay, the operator of one of China’s top two mobile payment apps, said hackers have taken an unknown amount of money from accounts using stolen Apple Inc IDs and the issue remains unresolved despite reaching out to the U.S. giant.”
October 1, 2018
On the wires
ALIPAY LAUNCHES IN-APP GUIDE FOR GERMANY’S OKTOBERFEST
Alizila
“The mobile and online payment platform said the pilot service will offer “a wealth of information on the culture and history of both venues,” including a map, a guide to individual stalls and products, information on German behavioral norms, like how to toast with a glass of beer and advice on when and where it’s OK to take photos. Users can also pay for what they buy through the Alipay app, with processing handled by European company Blue Code, in partnership with local banks.”
September 28, 2018
On the wires
InComm Japan to Become Alipay Payment Processing Partner
“InComm Japan, a subsidiary of InComm, today announced it will become a payment processing partner for Alipay (支付宝). With this agreement, InComm adds Alipay to the services it offers to merchants. InComm plans to further expand its payment processing portfolio both domestically and overseas”
September 5, 2018
On the wires
Alipay Seeks Japanese Partners to Strengthen Cashless Experience across the Country for Tourists before 2020
“Alipay, the world’s leading mobile and online payment platform operated by Ant Financial Services Group (“Ant Financial”), today announced that it will collaborate with a wider range of local Japanese partners to build a cashless environment for tourists coming to Japan, in particular for the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020. This will allow the large number of visitors coming from China the chance to enjoy easy payment methods that they are familiar with and provide business opportunities for local merchants in Japan.”
July 26, 2018
On the web
American Retailers Are Using Alipay To Attract Chinese Tourists
Digiday
“With 870 million users, Alipay is quickly becoming one of the world’s largest mobile payment platforms (its user base is second to WeChat Pay, which has 900 million users). The purchasing power of Chinese tourists, who on average spent more than $5,500 on overseas trips last year, is a market U.S. retailers are trying to capture. For Guess, adding Alipay is also a part of its China growth strategy; letting Chinese customers use Alipay in the U.S. creates a similar experience that these customers would have shopping at Guess locations in China. Guess currently has 132 stores in China.”
July 25, 2018
On the wires
San Francisco’s Leading Tourist Destination Partners With Alipay To Deliver A Seamless Payment Experience For Chinese Travelers
Business Wire
“Alipay, China’s leading digital payment platform operated by Ant Financial Services Group, and PIER 39, one of San Francisco’s most popular tourist destinations for shopping, dining and entertainment, today announced a partnership to create a seamless payment experience for Chinese travelers. Through the partnership, more than 40 merchants and vendors located on PIER 39, including Blue & Gold Fleet, Bubba Gump Shrimp, Fog Harbor Fish House and the Aquarium of the Bay, will now accept payment via Alipay’s mobile wallet through point-of-sale machines activated and implemented by CITCON, a leading cross-border mobile payment and marketing solutions provider that helps connect merchants with Chinese mobile wallet users.”
July 24, 2018
On the web
China’s Mobile Payment Platforms Are Transforming Online Marketing
TechNode
“In some cases, marketing with the help of mobile payments is beginning to eat away classical online marketing strategies. Chinese businesses have tried many ways to attract users but we can’t neglect that the costs of online promotions have begun to climb, said Ma Zheng, CEO of CJI (创匠信息科技), a company specialized in building mobile payment solutions. The numbers from Adobe’s last year’s study on digital advertising confirm his view. “One year ago, some businesses gave up attracting users online, and they went back to offline to seek opportunities,” Ma told TechNode. “Mobile payments seem to be a great intermediary. The growth from online is limited but there is still growth potential from offline, so businesses started integrating their marketing solutions with mobile payments for new ways of attracting users.””
July 12, 2018
On the web
The Chinese Tourists Will Be WeChat Pay’s Focus For Next Three Years
Jing Travel
“In an unsurprising move, Grace Yin, Director of WeChat Pay’s International Operations, confirmed in an interview that Tencent’s WeChat Pay would continue to focus almost exclusively on Chinese outbound tourists for the next three years. A move abroad would seem to be the logical next step for both Alipay and WeChat Pay, as both platforms have become wildly popular in China and have few avenues to garner more customers domestically. Still, the challenges of integrating the platforms into banking systems and lack of brand recognition outside of China have prompted both companies to continue focusing on Chinese customers. With more Chinese tourists going abroad every year, making sure WeChat Pay is usable abroad makes it more likely that when users return home they will continue using it.”
June 29, 2018
On the wires
99 Ranch Market And CITCON Partner To Deliver Customer-centric Shopping Experience
PR Newswire
“CITCON, the leading cross-border mobile payment company, announced that 99 Ranch Market, the largest Asian supermarket chain in the United States has successfully deployed the CITCON mobile payment and marketing solution, which allows it to accept China’s most preferred payment options Alipay and WeChat Pay, and leverage their marketing channels to better service Chinese customers.”
June 5, 2018
On the web
Alipay Wants To Take The US, But Faces Customer Acceptance Hurdles
Tearsheet
“For more than a decade, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba’s Alipay has dominated the mobile payments market in China. But with competitors like Tencent’s WeChat Pay entering and saturating the space, Alipay is on the lookout for a new market — and is looking west. Starting last year, Alipay worked with payment processor FirstData to integrate its offering across 4 million U.S. retail locations in 2017. This year, that partnership has expanded to 35,000 more merchants including hotels, restaurants and high-end retail stores.”
March 30, 2018
On the web
Alipay offers some lessons on open banking
Euromoney
“China is going cashless and cardless fast, with hundreds of millions of wealthy consumers leaping ahead to mobile wallets and providing some valuable insights for the possible future of open banking in Europe.”
March 23, 2018
On the web
Alipay makes alliance with Openpay in Mexico looking at the rest of America (Translation)
Payment Media
“Alipay, announced today that it will expand its services in America through a strategic alliance with Openpay in Mexico.
Alipay has more than 520 million active users in China, who from now on will be able to use Alipay to buy with the affiliated businesses of Openpay in Mexico. Alipay is the leading payment provider in China and mainly online and mobile payment methods for consumers in that country.”
March 19, 2018
On the wires
New Survey Finds Chinese Tourists Use Mobile Payments More Than Non-Chinese Tourists when Overseas
“Nearly all Chinese travelers (91%) would be more willing to shop and spend at overseas merchants that accepted Chinese mobile payments, according to a new Nielsen report, jointly released by Nielsen and Alipay, which found that 93% of Chinese tourists would use mobile payment overseas if given the option.”
First Data Enables Alipay Acceptance at 35,000 North American Merchants
“The expanded partnership follows a May 2017 announcement unveiling First Data’s plans to integrate Alipay at the point-of-sale across four million U.S. merchant locations. The ongoing rollout includes merchants using First Data’s Clover suite of solutions. Clover, a leading point of sale platform, serves the needs of merchants ranging from food trucks and small retailers to regional coffee houses and even the largest sports stadiums.”
March 5, 2018
On the web
Motion Pay brings Alipay acceptance to Canadian merchants
Mobile Payments Today
“Alipay has announced that its partnership with Motion Pay Technology Inc. has resulted in a significant number of merchants across Canada enabling Alipay acceptance at point-of-sale, according to a press release. Through the partnership, Alipay is now accepted in all major Canadian cities including Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa, Banff, among others, and across several categories including retail, restaurants, hospitality, and luxury.”
February 27, 2018
On the web
WeChat, Alipay offer overseas tax refund services to tourists, meaning no more airport queues
South China Morning Post
“The tedious tax refund process at airports and the long wait to get rebates for purchases made on overseas trips may soon be a thing of the past for Chinese tourists. WeChat Pay and Alipay, China’s two biggest mobile payment platforms, have recently forged partnerships with tax refund companies to enable Chinese tourists to obtain rebates on their purchases via their respective mobile apps.”
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