- The number of Alipay transactions made by outbound Chinese travellers across the 90 million-strong Alipay+ global merchants network increased 30% y-o-y.
- Touch ’n Go eWallet ranked second, trailing only AlipayHK, in transaction volume among inbound travellers making payments in China.
Kuala Lumpur, 5 February 2025 – During the 2025 Chinese New Year (CNY), Alipay recorded a significant increase in China’s outbound and inbound travel spending, with Malaysia being amongst the top destinations for Chinese travellers with the top five highest growth rates in total Alipay spending, driven by shopping malls in Malaysia providing special discounts on Alipay to welcome Chinese tourists, as well as the recent mutual visa exemption policy announced by both Malaysia and China.
Outbound travel: Visa-free and long-haul travel destinations saw a surge in Alipay spending while Chinese tourists sought local experiences
Through the Alipay+ cross-border mobile payment and digitalisation solutions, Chinese travellers, along with users of the other 35 e-wallets in Asia and Europe, can use their own home payment app across 66 markets without the need to exchange currency or carry cash.
Global Alipay+ merchants have joined Alipay in an exclusive CNY campaign to lure travellers during the country’s longest national holiday. From 28 to 30 January, the number of transactions made by Alipay users in overseas destinations increased by 30% compared to the same period last year.
Friendlier visa policies in major destinations bring substantive impact. In Singapore, total spending of Alipay rose by 56% year-on-year, making the Garden City the most popular destination. Japan also emerged as a favoured spot, with a 40% increase in Alipay spending, driven by eased visa policies and a weakened yen. Malaysia, Hong Kong SAR, and South Korea also rank among the top five destinations.
Long-haul travel rebounded. Alipay users made 30% more transactions in Europe over Chinese New Year 2024. In addition to traditionally popular destinations like the UK, France, and Italy, emerging destinations such as Switzerland, Austria, and Turkey also saw a notable rise in number of transactions.
Thanks to Alipay+’s diverse global merchant network, Chinese tourists are increasingly seeking more personalised and local experience. Beyond shopping and entertainment, Alipay spending in cosmetic surgery rose by 449% year-on-year. Food spending via Alipay also shows a varied pattern, with spending on meals, snacks, and desserts increasing by 33%, 36%, and 54%, respectively. Greater interest in immersive local travel trends also drives local transportation usage. Total Alipay spending on overseas bus, subway and ride-hailing trips grew by 139% year-on-year.
Inbound travel: Visa-Free policies and new payment options drew international travellers to China to experience CNY traditions
With China’s recent visa-free policy updates, Alipay has launched new campaigns to double the number of Chinese merchants accepting payments with international card-enabled Alipay accounts and a total of 13 overseas e-wallets.
Through Alipay’s expanded partnerships with Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Discover®, Diners Club International®, and UnionPay International, travellers can link their international credit or debit card to their Alipay e-wallet for seamless payments and diverse digital services such as ride-hailing, hotel bookings, and purchasing plane and train tickets in China.
Between 28 January and 1 February, travellers spent 150% more using Alipay at merchants across the Chinese mainland over 2024. Spending from visa-free origins rose by 200% year-on-year.
Since September 2023, the Alipay+ solutions have supported 13 leading payment apps[1] in Asia to serve their roaming users across Alipay’s 80-million-strong merchant network in China. During the first four days of the Chinese New Year holiday, the number of overseas e-wallet users making payments in China increased by 94% year-on-year. AlipayHK users topped the list, followed by Malaysia’s Touch ’n Go e-Wallet, Macao SAR’s MPay, Kazakhstan’s Kaspi.kz, and Thailand’s TrueMoney.
China native: New digital traditions drive consumer enthusiasm
In China, Alipay’s flagship Fortune Cards Campaign has become a new tradition for celebrating the Chinese New Year. Users collect digital fortune cards for good wishes and potential monetary rewards. With 28 sets of fortune cards—from Marvel heroes to Pop Mart stars—this year’s campaign has attracted 600 million participants. Utilising technologies such as AR, AI, and Alipay Tap!, it continues to help merchants of all sizes—from street vendors to major brands—enhance consumer interactions. Now in its tenth year, the campaign has cumulatively reached over one billion users.
[1] The 13 payment apps include AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR, China), Kaspi.kz (Kazakhstan), MPay (Macao SAR, China), Touch ’n Go eWallet (Malaysia), Hipay (Mongolia), NayaPay (Pakistan), Changi Pay (Singapore), OCBC Digital (Singapore), Kakao Pay (South Korea), Naver Pay (South Korea), Toss Pay (South Korea), TrueMoney (Thailand), GCash (The Philippines).
