SINGAPORE, 27 September 2024: Alipay+, a cross-border mobile payment solution operated by Ant International, has enabled more than 10 additional payment partners in Nepal by collaborating with local acquiring partner Himalayan Bank.
Alipay+ will be accepted at more than 25,000 local merchants, allowing travellers from 10 countries and regions to enjoy a cashless experience as they travel across Nepal simply by scanning the MOCO Unified QR Code. Alipay – an Alipay+ partner – for Chinese travellers, has been available since 2019.
Effective September 2024, 12 Alipay+ partner payment apps are accepted in Nepal: Alipay (Chinese mainland), AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR), Tinaba (Italy), MPay (Macao SAR), MyPB by Public Bank Berhad (Malaysia), Hipay (Mongolia), GCash (the Philippines), Changi Pay and OCBC Digital (Singapore), Naver Pay and Toss Pay (South Korea), and TrueMoney (Thailand). More payment apps will be progressively added.
According to the Nepal Tourism Board, tourist arrivals saw an 8.3% increase in August 2024, with over 720,000 visitors in the first eight months of the year. Data from Alipay, an Alipay+ partner, indicates a threefold increase in transactions by Chinese tourists between January and August 2024 compared to the same period last year. Additionally, Chinese travellers from Thailand, South Korea, and Italy are among the top inbound visitors to Nepal.
Ant International Country Manager for Thailand, South Asia & Indochina, Sittipong Kittiprapapong: “Through our partnership with Himalayan Bank and MOCO Unified QR Code, we are enabling local businesses to benefit from tourism growth and we’re committed to continually enhancing the travel experience and increasing merchant visibility.”
Himalayan Bank merchants accepting the MOCO Unified QR Code include a wide range of travel scenarios including retail, F&B and attractions, ensuring ease of travel for users of Alipay+ payment partners, no matter what they choose to do in Nepal.
FOCUSONE Payment Solutions Pvt. Ltd., a FinTech company in Nepal, facilitates QR payment services for Himalayan Bank and other acquiring banks in Nepal. FOCUSONE’s product, MOCO Unified QR Code is Nepal’s first cross-border, cross currency unified QR payment option that has been accepting payments from Alipay since 2019.
Himalayan Bank CEO Ashok SJB Rana said: “Partnering with Alipay+, we can integrate multiple e-wallets and banking apps, enhancing the scope of cross-border payments and simplifying payments for inbound travellers and more than 25,000 merchants who accept the MOCO Unified QR.”
In addition to Himalayan Bank’s merchants, Alipay+ will gradually expand to more merchants through its local partners. In May 2024, Alipay+ and Nepal Clearing House Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enable Alipay+ payment partners to be accepted through NEPALPAY QR.
Introduced by Ant International in 2020, Alipay+ now connects over 90 million merchants in 66 countries and regions to 1.6 billion consumer accounts across over 30 e-wallets and bank apps.
