Pakistan’s leading fintech platform, NayaPay, has announced its integration with Alipay+. This partnership allows NayaPay users to make payments at Alipay+’s extensive network of 80 million merchants in China. This milestone marks the first direct payment channel between China and Pakistan.

International initiative for consumer-friendly zones

To enhance the experience of international travelers in China, Ant Group, together with 11 foreign payment partners of Alipay+ and major international card organizations, has launched a program to establish international consumer-friendly zones in key Chinese tourist and commercial cities. This ambitious program, supported by relevant authorities and local governments, aims to make mobile payment options more accessible and convenient for visitors, thereby boosting sales for local merchants.

Alipay+ mobile payment solutions

The initiative focuses on two mobile payment alternatives offered by Ant Group. Alipay+, a suite of cross-border mobile payment and digitalization technology solutions, enables foreign consumers to seamlessly pay with their e-wallets at home across China. Travelers can also link major international bank cards, including Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Discover® and Diners Club International, to the Alipay app. This setup gives access to several local Alipay services without the need for a local bank account or phone number.

Improving the accessibility of payments

As part of the International Consumer Friendly Zones initiative, Ant Group will work closely with its partners to improve the accessibility and convenience of payments in popular traveler locations. Efforts include expanding bilingual support, providing comprehensive user manuals and strengthening vendor training to ensure a seamless experience for global consumers.

NayaPay’s role in the initiative

At the launch event, NayaPay was announced as the 11th overseas and the first Pakistani payment platform to “roam” in China. This development follows other international platforms such as AlipayHK (Hong Kong), Changi Pay (Singapore) and Touch ‘n’ Go eWallet (Malaysia). NayaPay users can now make payments using their e-money accounts at Alipay+’s network of merchants in China, enabling more bilateral trade and visits.

Statements from key stakeholders

Danish A. Lakhani, CEO of NayaPay, said: “Today marks a monumental milestone in the commercial relationship between China and Pakistan, as we witness the establishment of the first direct payment channels between our two countries, making this groundbreaking development possible through the collaborative efforts of Ant Group, NUCC and NayaPay, under the auspices of the People’s Bank of China and the State Bank of Pakistan, this achievement not only paves the way for a new era of financial transactions, but also symbolizes joint innovation between us nations.

Yin Xiaolong, vice president and general manager of Visa in Mainland China, added: “As a trusted commerce engine, Visa is committed to working with partners to improve the payment experience for international tourists. They can choose the ways to pay with Visa according to their preferences and needs, whether it is using international cards, local e-wallets or cash. We believe the convenient and seamless payment experience will fuel economies where individuals, businesses and communities can thrive and promote people-to-people exchanges.”

Chao Zhan, Vice President of NUCC of China, emphasized: “NUCC will actively provide interconnection clearing support for mobile payment services by market institutions at home and abroad. In the future, we will increase our efforts in three aspects: improving the business continuity of linking international cards to domestic payment apps, making more foreign e-wallets available, and increasing the scale of outlets that provide mobile payment services for international accept visitors. ”

Jake Xue, General Manager of Global Business Services at Ant Group, commented: “Seamless payment and consumer experience is critical for international travel, as well as broader cultural and economic exchange. Building on the International Consumer Friendly Zones program and more travel innovations, we will work with partners at home and abroad to expand cross-border cooperation in technology and services to support our new payment facilitation and opening initiatives.”

The growing reach of Alipay+

Introduced in 2020, Alipay+ has rapidly expanded to connect more than 88 million merchants in 57 countries and regions with 1.5 billion consumer accounts. This initiative improves the travel experience for consumers worldwide and provides merchants with digitalization tools to increase sales.