Alipay cracks Apple’s brick-and-mortar barrier in China

Apple Inc. stores in China now welcome Alipay, marking the first time the Cupertino, Calif.-based tech giant has officially accepted a third-party wallet at any of its brick-and-mortar stores worldwide.

The agreement with Alipay, a service of China’s Ant Financial, extends the mobile wallet’s acceptance at all 41 of Apple’s stores in China, according to a Wednesday press release.

Alipay customers who want use Apple Pay at stores in China may go to a dedicated Apple section within the app to connect their Apple account to their Alipay account, customize billing options and look for offers, Ant Financial said in the release.

Apple made Alipay available for iTunes and in-app purchases in China in 2016, the release noted.

Customers and members of the media stand outside an Apple Inc. store during the launch of the iPhone X in Hong Kong, China, on Friday, Nov. 3, 2017. Long lines formed outside Apple stores around the world, a sign of strong demand from consumers waiting for the company's 10th anniversary iPhone X. Photographer: Justin Chin/Bloomberg

Kate Fitzgerald

Senior Editor, Payments

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