Maybank rolls out first batch of Alipay-enabled terminals

KUALA LUMPUR: Malayan Banking Bhd ( Maybank) has rolled out its first batch of Alipayenabled merchant terminals in Malaysia to facilitate contactless payments for the estimated three million tourist arrivals from China this year.

Maybank Group chief strategy officer, Michael Foong, said the new Alipay-enabled terminals will not only provide a payment service that was swift, seamless and secure for visitors from China, but also enhance their travel experience in Malaysia, subsequently boosting tourist spending.

“The Alipay-enabled terminals allow contactless payment via QR code as merchants only need to scan the tourist’s Alipay QR code for a purchase transaction.

“Tourists from China form a growing portion of foreign visitors to Malaysia and are estimated to spend some RM9 billion this year,” he said in a statement today.

Foong said that having this new capability in card terminals in Malaysia was crucial as Alipay was the world’s leading third party payment platform with 450 million users, with over 80 per cent being mobile users.

The Alipay-enabled terminals were available at major retail outlets such as Royal Selangor, Poh Kong Jewellers, Harrison Signature, Made In Malaysia, Mystical Borneo, King of Fruits, Sunway Resort Hotel, Sunway Clio Hotel, Sunway Pyramid Hotel, DFZ Duty Free, Eraman and merchants at Kota Kinabalu such as Imperial Seafood Restaurant, Ming Garden Hotel & Residence and Fish Market Restaurant.

More merchants are scheduled to join the list in the coming months.

The new service follows the recent signing of a strategic partnership between Maybank and Ant Financial Services Group ( Ant Financial) of China to provide Alipay users travelling to Malaysia with contactless payment convenience. — Bernama