Alipay drives evolution of contactless payments in China with new tap-and-pay service

Alipay expects its Tap! service to streamline the checkout process for merchants, while offering consumers a simplified experience

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Alipay’s new Tap! service marks its latest effort to shape the evolution of contactless payments in mainland China. Photo: Shutterstock

Ann Caoin Shanghai

Published: 7:30pm, 9 Jul 2024Updated: 8:10pm, 9 Jul 2024

Alipay, China’s leading mobile payment service provider, has launched a new tap-and-pay function that it expects will streamline the checkout process for merchants, while offering consumers a simplified experience compatible with both Android handsets and Apple’s iPhones.

Ant Group-operated Alipay, which helped popularise the QR code-based scan-and-pay feature in the country, on Monday introduced its Tap! function that enables users to complete payment by tapping their smartphone on a merchant’s USB add-on at the cash register. Fintech giant Ant Group is an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding, which owns the South China Morning Post.

The tap-and-pay service, which is being rolled out in major cities across mainland China, was designed to “expedite in-store mobile payments”, according to Alipay.

This initiative by Alipay marks its latest effort to shape the evolution of contactless payments nationwide, years after Samsung Electronics, Google and Apple introduced their own tap-and-pay functions overseas.

Alipay, which helped popularise the QR code-based scan-and-pay feature used by merchants across China, said its new tap-and-pay function was designed to streamline the checkout process in stores. Photo: Shutterstock

Samsung Pay, launched in 2015, lets users make payments via the Samsung Wallet app downloaded on Samsung-produced devices. Google Pay, formerly known as Android Pay in 2015, allows users to make contactless purchases on Android smartphones, tablets and smartwatches.