Japan’s leading QR payment operator, PayPay, has expanded its collaboration with Alipay+, a cross-border mobile payment and digitalisation technology solution from Ant International. This enhanced partnership was announced Wednesday (6 November) at the Singapore FinTech Festival 2024, highlighting their joint commitment to expanding cashless, cross-border payments to over three million local merchants across Japan, aimed at offering global visitors smoother, more secure payment options with their preferred domestic e-wallets.
Through this collaboration, travellers using Alipay+ payment partner apps will be able to scan PayPay QR codes to make payments at participating Japanese merchants, even at locations without Alipay+ point-of-sale materials. This initiative will also bring a festive promotional campaign, from 20 December 2024 to 10 January 2025, for select e-wallet users during the Christmas and New Year travel season.
Users of participating payment partners, including Alipay, AlipayHK, Kakao Pay, GCash, Toss Pay, TrueMoney and Touch ‘n Go eWallet, will be offered an exclusive 10 per cent discount (up to JPY 1,000). Tinaba will also provide a 10 per cent cashback promotion (up to a maximum of EUR 20). Eligible users may redeem the offer once during the campaign period.
Alipay+’s current partner payment app network in Japan includes 16 e-wallets and bank apps, such as Alipay (Chinese mainland), AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR China), MPay (Macao SAR China), South Korea’s Kakao Pay, Naver Pay and Toss, Singapore’s OCBC Digital, Changi Pay and EZ-Link, Malaysia’s Touch ‘n Go eWallet and MyPB by Public Bank Berhad, the Philippines’ GCash and HelloMoney, TrueMoney (Thailand), Hipay (Mongolia), and Tinaba (Italy).
Japan’s tourism sector, now a leading Asia-Pacific destination, continues to see a steady increase in tourists seeking in-depth travel experiences beyond Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, venturing to lesser-known regions. Alipay+ aims to fulfil tourists’ expectations for hassle-free payments, helping local businesses benefit from the evolving tourism landscape. Notably, the number of tourists using their home wallets in Japan through Alipay+ nearly doubled in 2024 compared to 2023, with food, beverage, and entertainment as top categories.
By working with PayPay, Alipay+ extends its merchant network to more small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), ranging from snack shops and anime merchandise stores to guesthouses near Mount Fuji. Alipay+ now connects with 90 million merchants in 66 countries, tapping into a global market of 1.6 billion consumer accounts via 35 mobile payment partners.
Masayoshi Yanase, corporate officer and division head of finance business strategy at PayPay Corporation, emphasised, “PayPay is committed to building a connected, seamless payment ecosystem that empowers local businesses to connect with international travellers. Through convenient and secure payment solutions, we enhance the travel experience for global tourists. Together with Alipay+, we aim to contribute to economic growth across Japan by supporting digital transactions for businesses of all sizes, from bustling city centres to emerging regional destinations.”
Douglas Feagin, president of Ant International, said that the simplicity of QR code payment is proving to be a game changer for the future of travel. “Together with our partners like PayPay, we are powering inclusive economic growth by connecting the vibrant supply chain of Japan’s nationwide merchants to the growing demand of international consumers for hyper-local experiences via the global payment ecosystem with Alipay+. Enabling travellers to pay with their home wallets when they see a PayPay QR code will open up the payment borders for the global tourism marketplace,” continued Feagin.
The PayPay and Alipay+ partnership is set to provide a boost to Japan’s tourism industry, helping local businesses and SMEs thrive by connecting them to a global digital payment ecosystem and catering to the increasing demand for seamless, cross-border payment solutions. 
