Pay with a local e-wallet at over 2 million Japanese merchants

Source: Ant International. Alipay+ - and the local payment methods it supports - is now offered by 2 million Japanese merchants.

Ant International's cross-border mobile payment solution Alipay+ has connected 2 million merchants across Japan, enabling local businesses to accept payments from customers using their home country e-wallets.

Sixteen e-wallets and bank apps are now accepted in Japan via Alipay+, a suite of cross- border digital payment and digitalisation technology solutions, including the following in the Asia Pacific region: 

- Alipay (Chinese mainland)

- AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR China)

- MPay (Macao SAR China)

- Kakao Pay (South Korea)

- Naver Pay (South Korea)

- Toss (South Korea)

- OCBC Digital (Singapore)

- Changi Pay (Singapore)

- EZ-Link (Singapore)

- Touch ‘n Go eWallet (Malaysia)

- MyPB by Public Bank (Malaysia)

- GCash (Philippines)

- HelloMoney (Philippines)

- TrueMoney (Thailand)

- Hipay (Mongolia)

Powered by Alipay+, transaction volume made by e-wallets and bank apps in Japan jumped over 200% in the first three weeks of March, compared with the same period in 2023. Transaction value is estimated to account for about 10% of total spending among users during their stay in the country, shared Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International. 

Another positive indicator is transaction volume from Alipay+ partner e-wallets and bank apps at Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores, a flagship department store chain in Japan. This figure rose over 10x in the first two months of this year, compared with the same period last year. 

Akito Kimura, Manager of Inbound Business Division for Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores said: “Starting with connecting Alipay to make Chinese customers more at home, we are pleased to expand our partnership with Ant International by integrating with Alipay+. This will allow us to accommodate the preferred payment methods of our international customers through simple integration. 

"We look forward to working together to drive more innovation, ensuring all customers can enjoy a memorable and peace-of-mind shopping experience at our stores.” 

Feagin added: “We are grateful to our over 40 local acquiring partners in Japan, including both big institutions as well as small ones that only have several employees, for their tremendous support to promote a seamless, transparent and efficient experience together for local businesses and international travellers.

“By working with these partners, Alipay+ provides global tourists with a seamless digital payment experience that is the same as in their own markets. Without any extra efforts, tourists can make purchases by simply scanning the QR code at merchants of all size, without worrying about foreign currency exchange or any language barriers.”

Alipay, AlipayHK, Kakao Pay, Touch ‘n Go eWallet, GCash and TrueMoney are among the most popular e-wallets used by travellers to Japan, while MPay, Naver Pay and Toss are seeing rapid growth in transactions, Ant International said.

Venetia Lee, CEO of AlipayHK said: “Japan is the first foreign destination of AlipayHK as it is one of the most favoured travel destinations for Hong Kong residents. Powered by Alipay+, Hong Kong people can now use AlipayHK to make purchases at local stores and use car-hailing in Japan, which are settled in Hong Kong dollars with competitive exchange rates in the market. 

"With the increasing acceptance of Alipay+ among local merchants in Japan, the daily transaction values and volumes of AlipayHK in the country in the first quarter have surged 3.5x and 5x over the previous quarter. I am confident that the usage of AlipayHK will continue to grow in Japan on the back of the strong adoption of Alipay+ services among the Japanese merchants.”

Ren-Ren Reyes, President and CEO of GXI (G-Xchange Inc.), the mobile wallet operator of GCash said: "Our long-standing partnership with Alipay+ has allowed us to be an indispensable companion for Filipino travellers in now 47 countries and territories around the world. We are glad to continue strengthening our collaboration with Alipay+ to ensure every Filipino has a seamless and secure cashless payment option when they travel abroad." 

Won-Keun Shin, the CEO of Kakao Pay, a major acquirer in South Korea, said, “We are glad that users can easily and conveniently pay with Kakao Pay at 2 million large and small merchants in Japan, one of the most visited countries by Korean tourists. Through discussions with Alipay+ as well as several e-wallet partners representing each country, we will accelerate global expansion and provide more benefits.” 

John Sun, Chairman and CEO of Macau Pass, stated, “As the leading mobile payment e-wallet in Macao, MPay, together with Alipay+ which has launched a suite of innovative digital cross-border solutions, strives to create a smart e-wallet that facilitates Macao residents to travel globally. This could also solve the issues they encounter with payment while travelling overseas, thus improve travellers' payment and shopping experience.  

"MPay will continue to expand in e-payments, lifestyle services, and marketing technology services to develop more open and diversified intelligent payment business scenarios.”

Alan Ni, CEO, TNG Digital, the operator of TNG eWallet, said: “As Malaysia's top e-wallet provider, we're committed to serving users locally and expanding globally. Our partnership with Alipay+ has seen transactions surge sixfold this year, specifically in Japan, a true testament to our dedication to innovative payment solutions. With over half of Malaysia entrusting TNG eWallet as their preferred digital payment and financial services provider, we aim to be the ultimate travel companion, ensuring easy and safe transactions wherever our users go.”

Monsinee Nakapanant, Co-President of Ascend Money, the operator of TrueMoney stated: “Japan ranks as one of the most popular destinations with approximately 1 million Thai travellers each year. We are pleased to work with Alipay+ to create more inclusive cross-border payments and enable Thais to enjoy safe, real-time, and cost-effective payments with their accustomed home wallet TrueMoney. Enabling the travellers to connect with Japanese merchants of all sizes will also expand their experiences of local culture and people that would make their trip more memorable.” 

Introduced by Ant International in 2020, Alipay+ now connects over 88 million merchants in 57 countries and regions to 1.5 billion consumer accounts on over 25 e-wallets and bank apps, allowing consumers to travel and pay hassle-free globally, and merchants to build out cross-border consumer engagement and digital marketing.

The service builds on Alipay+’s extensive regional partnerships, including those with national QR schemes including Singapore’s SGQR, Malaysia’s PayNet, South Korea’s ZeroPay, Sri Lanka's LankaPay and Cambodia's KHQR.

Instarem launches new mobile app for Singapore consumers

Instarem, a digital cross border payments platform has launched a redesigned website and new mobile application for Singapore consumers. Instarem will also be launching a first-of-its-kind consumer debit card, Amaze, for users within the year.

Instarem has refreshed its brand and launched a new app for Singapore.

With the new rebrand, Instarem seeks to go beyond just enhancing consumer remittances globally, to move towards being the change-driver for the complexities around global payments – empowering its customers to do more with their money in an intuitive, transparent, and cost-effective manner. This rebrand also aims to set the foundation for Instarem to eventually become an all-in-one consumer app in coming years.

Yogesh Sangle, Global Head of Instarem, said, “We see the future of Instarem as becoming an essential part of our customers’ everyday lives, offering them the most convenient option for money transfers. Our new identity reflects our belief that money should not be disconnected – it should be simple – and our enhanced offerings bring this belief to life. Our new look better represents who we are today – current, innovative, and global.”

“Our new mobile app provides increased usability for Singapore users that makes it easier for them to navigate and manage their transfers from anywhere in the world. Singapore customers can also expect a new and improved Instarem experience through the launch of a consumer debit card, which allows them to consolidate all their spendings in one,” he added.

Instarem currently operates in six continents and over 100+ markets, serving more than 130+ million customers. More than US$6 billion in transaction volumes are processed annually, and 60% of payments are made in less than 15 minutes.

Explore:

Singapore users can download the mobile app for Android and for iOS.

Singapore is on standby to act on Ebola

Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) has gone beyond WHO recommendations for Ebola virus disease (EVD), which it says it has already put in place as part of its preparedness plan against EVD. It is also ready to calibrate its measures as the situation evolves.

As recommended, the ministry is raising the awareness and knowledge of travellers about the potential risk of EVD. "Information on EVD has been provided to the public and potential travellers on MOH’s website, and in its media release issued on 7 August. Singaporeans have been advised to avoid non-essential travel to affected areas. Instructions have also been provided on precautions to take if there is a need to travel to affected areas," the ministry stated in a release on 8 August.

At the same time, all medical practitioners and hospitals have been alerted, through professional circulars, to the EVD situation in West Africa. "They are advised to remain vigilant to pick up cases of EVD early amongst patients with compatible symptoms and a travel history to affected areas. MOH has also provided guidance on the criteria for defining suspect EVD cases, and on how to notify MOH of such cases," the ministry said.

Singapore is no stranger to preparedness procedures for infectious diseases since dealing with SARS in 2003. According to the Ministry of Health, all public hospitals have put in place infection control procedures in the event of an imported EVD case. Processes have also been put in place include:

• Sending samples for EVD testing at the National Public Health Laboratory’s designated testing facilities. 
• Centralising the management of suspect cases of EVD in Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH). Suspect cases who are seriously ill will be transported in specially configured ambulances, and all suspect cases will be managed in negative pressure isolation rooms with strict infection control procedures.

Contingency plans are also in place at Singapore's Changi Airport to manage passengers with signs of EVD. In 2013, Changi saw 53.7 million passengers arriving and departing. Such passengers will be isolated and transferred using a portable medical isolation unit (PMIU) to TTSH for further management.

Precautionary measures in Singapore's preparedness against EVD over and above the WHO recommendations include border health measures as well as contact tracing and quarantine. MOH has worked with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and the Changi Airport Group (CAG) on border health measures. Individual health advisory notices (HANs) have been distributed to nationals from the affected areas at air and land checkpoints since 2pm on 7 August 2014.

The HAN advises travellers to consult a doctor early, and inform the doctor of their travel history if they become unwell, with sudden onset of high fever, stomach pains, diarrhoea, vomiting, rash or bleeding, within three weeks of being in any of the affected areas in West Africa. Similar advice is provided in Health Advisory posters at land and air checkpoints, which have been progressively put up from 8 August.

The MOH says it has been ready to conduct contact tracing in the event of a confirmed case of EVD since the beginning of the outbreak in West Africa. All close contacts will be quarantined and monitored for up to 21 days, either in their homes or in the Government Quarantine Facility (GQF) in Pasir Ris.

Read about the WHO announcement here.

India's preparedness measures are here.