LankaPay, the national payment network of Sri Lanka, has partnered with Ant International to support Alipay+ acceptance in the country.
This will enable over 400,000 LANKAQR merchants to accept mobile payments from travellers via 14 international e-wallets connected to Alipay+ during the initial phase.
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The first phase of the rollout will allow travellers from ten countries and regions to use their e-wallets to make payments in Sri Lanka by scanning LANKAQR codes at merchant locations.
LANKAQR, managed by LankaPay, is an initiative by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka that standardises QR code-based transactions and integrates consumers, banks, and merchants into a single payment ecosystem.
Alipay+ partners in this phase include e-wallets from China, Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, Mongolia, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, and Italy.
The move is expected to facilitate the acceptance of cross-border payments in Sri Lanka, catering to markets such as Italy, Singapore, Malaysia, China, South Korea, and Thailand.
These markets have been identified by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority as potential sources of tourists and business travellers, the release said.
The partnership aims to increase the number of Alipay+ partner e-wallets accepted in Sri Lanka.
LankaPay CEO Channa de Silva stated: “We are delighted to partner with Ant International and enable Alipay+ cross-border payment solution, which signifies a landmark milestone in our global journey. This partnership connects us with international Alipay+ partner users worldwide, enabling them to make seamless payments during their visit to Sri Lanka, similar to their experience at home.
“This collaboration signifies our commitment to enhance payment convenience to tourists and business travellers to Sri Lanka and attract much needed foreign exchange into the country.”
Ant International Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand General Manager Edward Yue said: “The national LANKAQR infrastructure by the Sri Lanka Central Bank and LankaPay lays a strong foundation for the digitalisation of local businesses and we’re proud to partner with LankaPay to enhance interoperability and connect global customers to the local payment ecosystem.
“Beyond payments, Alipay+ also enables merchants to reach travellers through new digital services directly within mobile apps, digitalising key travel scenarios, opening new channels of engagements and driving even more vibrant and inclusive growth.”
Earlier this month, Alipay+ expanded its partnership with Whale Cloud to offer businesses the technology to launch their own mobile applications using Alipay+ Wallet Tech.
