GHL and Alipay+ partner for cross-border payments in the Philippines

Source: The Asian Banker

GHL Systems Philippines Inc. (GHL Philippines), a wholly owned subsidiary of GHL Systems Berhad, has enabled Alipay+ for local businesses in the Philippines to accept cross-border digital face-to-face and e-commerce payments from leading Asian mobile wallets.

This integration allows merchants to seamlessly accept cross-border digital payments from prominent Asian mobile wallets, including AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR), Kakao Pay (South Korea), Touch 'n Go eWallet (Malaysia), and Alipay (Chinese mainland), which represent the top inbound travellers to the Philippines. Travellers from these regions can now conveniently utilise their local mobile wallets to make payments in the Philippines at even more merchants, offering a diverse range of payment options beyond cash or foreign-issued credit or debit cards.

Through this partnership with Alipay+, the cross-border mobile payment and digitalisation technology solutions operated by Ant International, travellers visiting the Philippines can now utilise their home e-wallets at retail outlets powered by GHL. This partnership aims to enhance the payment experience for travellers while benefiting a wide array of local businesses spanning retail, food and beverage, hospitality, and attractions nationwide.

Tourist arrivals in the Philippines are forecasted to reach 8.21 million this year, surpassing both 5.4 million for 2023 and 7.1 million for 2019 figures, the latter representing the last full year before the onset of the pandemic. This uptick underscores the significant rebound in tourism, and a growing need for efficient and accessible payment solutions.

Jay Tirona, CEO, GHL Philippines said: "This partnership signifies a significant leap forward in our mission to enhance the digital payment landscape in the Philippines. Besides enabling local businesses to tap into a broader customer base, we are also reinforcing our commitment to provide innovative solutions that cater to the evolving needs of both merchants and consumers. We are excited about the possibilities this partnership brings and the positive impact it will have on facilitating seamless cross-border transactions in the country."

Michael Hao, Ant International country manager for the Philippines, said: "We are excited about our partnership with GHL Philippines and the opportunities it presents to transform cross-border payments in the Philippines. This collaboration underscores our commitment to providing innovative and seamless payment solutions to users worldwide. As tourists return to explore the beauty of the Philippines, we aim to empower more local merchants to benefit from the growth in tourism and engage with global users more easily."

Introduced by Ant International in 2020, Alipay+ now connects over 88 million merchants in 57 countries and regions to users of over 25 e-wallets and bank apps, allowing consumers to travel and pay hassle-free globally, and merchants to build out cross-border consumer engagement and digital marketing. Other than the Philippines, Alipay+ is also widely accepted in other popular travel destinations like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Europe and Middle East.