Spanish merchants integrating Alipay+ will be able to accept cross-border payments from international tourists using 15 digital wallets and banking apps from Europe and Asia.
ABANCA is one of the first financial institutions in Spain to incorporate Alipay+ mobile payments solution, enabling merchants to benefit from a rise in Asian tourism this summer.
MADRID, JULY 30 2024 - ABANCA and acquirer Starpay have partnered with Alipay+, a suite of cross-border mobile payment and digitalization technology solutions operated by Ant International, to offer this solution to the Galician financial institution's merchant clients during the peak tourism season.
Alipay+ has become fully integrated with ABANCA's POS systems, enabling merchants to accept 15 popular international e-wallets and banking apps from Asia and Europe. Among these are Alipay (Chinese mainland), AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR, China), MPay (Macao SAR, China), Touch ’n Go eWallet (Malaysia), Hipay (Mongolia), GCash (The Philippines), OCBC Digital and Changi Pay (Singapore), TrueMoney (Thailand), Tinaba (Italy), Bluecode (Germany and Austria), and Kakao Pay, Naver Pay, and Toss Pay (South Korea).
ABANCA thus becomes one of the first financial institutions in Spain to offer this solution, fully integrated into its POS, to merchant customers. "We want to continue to be pioneers in the integration of payment systems that help our businesses reach more people and thus boost their sales," says Jorge Martínez, ABANCA's general manager of Payment and Consumer Resources.
As a result, ABANCA merchant customers using Alipay+ will be able to accept payments from users of leading Asian and European digital wallets in both online and physical stores. This solution will also enable businesses in Spain to extend the reach of potential users with the cross-border mobile payment solution and integrated marketing and digitization tools provided by Alipay+.
"From ABANCA we want to offer an exclusive payment method for merchants, integrating an innovative payment solution in our POS that improves the shopping experience of international tourists," explains Constanza Mendez, ABANCA's Director of Business Development and Commercial Model.
Alba Ruiz, Alipay+ Business Development Director for Europe, highlights: "Offering international tourists a shopping experience tailored to their needs is key. Thus, by integrating Alipay+ into ABANCA's client merchant POS terminals, global visitors will not only be able to use the usual payment method they trust, but also benefit from associated promotions. This is very important for attracting international tourists and increasing sales in stores, at tourist establishments, and with transportation."
In addition to enabling payment to international customers through its payment gateways, Starpay will also offer ABANCA customers mini-programs, marketing and increased presence in Asian social networks.
"This collaboration will allow ABANCA's clients not only to receive payments from international tourists, but something much more important for our local commerce, to give visibility to all those businesses in the Asian digital ecosystem to attract new customers and allow them to enjoy the marketing advantages offered by Asian e-wallets to multiply their sales" explains Álvaro Fontaneda, CEO of Starpay.
Sala de Despiece (SDD), a group of restaurants in continuous innovation, has been one of the first ABANCA clients to integrate Alipay+ in their POS in order to facilitate the purchasing process for Asian customers. "The operation is very simple and has great usability. It is allowing us to have greater interaction with Asian tourists through the payment facilities of our establishments," explains Javier Bonet, from Sala de Despiece.
This initiative reflects Sala de Despiece's commitment to innovation and continuous improvement of the customer experience, standing out not only for its gastronomic offer, but also for its ability to adapt to the needs of a globalized market.
About ABANCA
ABANCA is the leading financial institution in northwest Spain. It has 730 branches in 11 countries in Europe and America, 6,808 employees and a business volume of more than 113,018 million euros. Its differential proposal combines personal attention with operations through digital and remote channels. ABANCA bases its activity on knowledge of customer needs and on a catalog of simple, innovative and transparent products and services. Specialization, internationalization and sustainability are other hallmarks of a financial institution that is among the most solvent in the sector in Spain. More information: www.abanca.com
About Alipay+
Alipay+ is a suite of cross-border mobile payments and digitization technology solutions that help connect global merchants with consumers. Consumers enjoy seamless payments and a wide variety of offers using their preferred payment methods while traveling abroad. Small and medium-sized businesses can use Alipay+ digital tools to improve efficiency and achieve omni-channel growth.
About Ant International
Headquartered in Singapore, Ant International powers the future of global commerce with digital innovation for everyone and every business to thrive. In close collaboration with partners, we support merchants of all sizes worldwide to realize their growth aspirations through a comprehensive range of tech-driven digital payment and financial services solutions.
