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Between January 21-27, the seven-day public holiday in mainland China to mark the Year of the Rabbit, Alipay and AlipayHK, both Alipay+ wallet partners, recorded huge jumps in cross-border transactions such as China ease your travel restrictions
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Apart from the Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR, Southeast Asia remains one of the most popular destinations for outbound Chinese tourists, with Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines topping the list for cross-border Alipay payments during the holiday
Hangzhou, China, January 30, 2023—(BUSINESS WIRE)–China’s outbound and inbound travel showed rapid and sustained rebounds during the recent long holiday for the start of the Year of the Rabbit, as evidenced by strong growth in popular cross-border digital payments.
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Apart from Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR, Southeast Asia remains one of the most popular destinations for outbound Chinese tourists, with Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines topping the list for cross-border Alipay payments during Chinese New Year. (Photo: Business Wire)
Between January 21 and 26, annual growth in outbound transaction volumes by Alipay users rose by 150%, with Hong Kong and Macau the most popular destinations for mainland users based on the number of transactions during the Chinese New Year period.
Specifically, the number of Alipay transactions from tourists from mainland China to Macau increased by 100%, while that from tourists from mainland China to Hong Kong increased by nearly 70%. Alipay currently serves more than 1 billion users and has transformed over the years from a trusted payment instrument to a digital open platform.
Apart from Hong Kong and Macau, Southeast Asian countries have regained their prominence as one of the most popular destinations for travelers from mainland China. The top five markets in Southeast Asia with the highest transaction volume by Alipay users in the first six days of the holiday were Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Cambodia.
Japan was one of the top five destinations for Alipay users during the period, along with Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand and Malaysia. The most cross-border Alipay payments were made with merchants such as street vendors and convenience stores, and the highest average spend was seen at duty-free shops in various markets.
On January 8, China announced its first steps to ease travel restrictions between the mainland and Hong Kong, lifting quarantine requirements that had been in place for nearly three years. The Chinese New Year holiday saw a surge in cross-border travel between the mainland and overseas markets as mainland consumers resumed overseas travel and travelers from Hong Kong and Macau flocked back to the mainland, mostly for family gatherings or recreational activities.
AlipayHK, the most popular e-wallet in Hong Kong, with 3.3 million active users, saw transactions in the mainland and Macau jump 18 times from January 21 to 24 compared to the same period last year.
The number of AlipayHK users who transacted in the mainland and Macau also increased 15 times year-on-year during the same period.
Both Alipay and AlipayHK are e-wallet partners of Alipay+, an Ant Group-owned global cross-border digital payment and marketing solutions provider that connects merchants with multiple e-wallets and payment methods.
Alipay+ currently has over 15 mobile payment partners worldwide. Users can conveniently use their preferred local payment methods while transacting seamlessly across markets and can enjoy marketing offers from merchants through Alipay+.
About Alipay+
Alipay+ offers unified global mobile payment and marketing solutions that connect merchants with multiple e-wallets and payment methods from different countries and regions through cooperation with global partners. Users can conveniently use their preferred local payment methods while transacting seamlessly in a different market and can enjoy marketing offers from merchants through Alipay+. Alipay+ is developed by Ant Group, the owner and operator of Alipay, one of the world’s leading digital open platforms.
Check out the source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230129005053/en/
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Li Tao
Ant Group
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