Wirecard, Alipay Enable Mobile Pay for Chinese Visitors to Europe

Wirecard Group and Alipay are collaborating to provide European retailers with  barcode technology enabling Chinese tourists to make point of sale payments using the Alipay mobile wallet app.

Wirecard, a German provider of outsourced electronic payment options in many global regions, is providing barcode payments technology retailers may integrate into existing point of sale systems, so Chinese consumers can pay with smartphones via the Alipay app, without incurring currency exchange fees. To pay, Alipay users open the app and the retailer scans a barcode. Retailers can add the solution without making any major infrastructure changes, Wirecard said.

The partnership will enable European retailers to capture a bigger share of the $165 billion global Chinese tourism market by making it easier for Chinese tourists to make payments on the go. Alipay, an arm of e-commerce giant And Financial that works similar to PayPal, has 400 million active users in China and claims 80% of the nation’s mobile e-commerce market. Alipay’s recent moves include a collaboration with Walmart to enable mobile payments at Walmart locations in China.

Wirecard plans to enhance the solution soon by adding integrated tax refund services for Chinese shoppers visiting Europe, said Jörn Leogrande, Wirecard’s executive vice president of mobile services.