【Dear Utol (2025): Kilay is Life Episode 42】
China's biggest mobile payments platform is Dear Utol (2025): Kilay is Life Episode 42spreading to the rest of Asia.
Alipay, from ecommerce giant Alibaba, has a whopping 450 million users in China, who use their phones to pay friends, buy stuff online, and even offline at restaurants and merchants.
On Wednesday, Ant Financial, which runs Alipay, announced its merger with HelloPay.
SEE ALSO: Ecommerce in China: How the World's Biggest Market Buys OnlineHelloPay is the three-year-old payment platform created by ecommerce site, Lazada, which has been dubbed the "Amazon of Southeast Asia."
Last year, Alibaba bought a controlling stake in Lazada, in a deal worth approximately $1 billion.
Alipay is keen to grow outside of China.
While HelloPay is hardly as ubiquitously used in Southeast Asia as Alipay is in China, the merger should pave the way for Alibaba's plans to spread Alipay outside of China.
However, the new localised Alipay platforms in the region aren't compatible with the main Alipay platform. That means users in China wouldn't be able to pay in Southeast Asia, and vice versa.
HelloPay's country-specific versions will be rebranded as Alipay Singapore, Alipay Malaysia, Alipay Indonesia, and Alipay Philippines.
There will be no change for HelloPay’s users and payment partners, confirmed Douglas Feagin, Senior Vice President of Ant Financial, in an emailed statement to Mashable.
This merger follows Ant Financial's keenness to spread globally. Earlier this week, it offered $1.2 billion for US-based Moneygram.
Looks like there's no escaping Alibaba, wherever in the world you might be.
Featured Video For You
PayPal Tests Picture Verification in Mobile Payment app
Search
Categories
Latest Posts
Boeing's new VR simulator immerses astronauts in space training
2025-06-26 05:09One girl's simple love of Papa John's pizza gets her into Yale
2025-06-26 04:57Wonder Woman mashups frame iconic women as your favorite superhero
2025-06-26 04:45NYT mini crossword answers for May 12, 2025
2025-06-26 04:07Popular Posts
Bargaining For the Common Good
2025-06-26 06:21Dad wears Pikachu tie made by his son for a very special reason
2025-06-26 05:31Hillary Clinton's got some good advice for the resistance
2025-06-26 04:19Philips now allows customers to 3D print replacement parts
2025-06-26 03:50Featured Posts
Amazon Pet Day: All the best deals
2025-06-26 06:17In the gig economy, I'm a doer. And you can be one too
2025-06-26 05:46Stop putting 'Stories' in every friggin' app
2025-06-26 05:34Corporate recruitment event is a real
2025-06-26 04:20No Time for a Negative Peace
2025-06-26 04:02Popular Articles
The Best Gaming Concept Art of 2016
2025-06-26 06:33New leaked NSA hacking report is 'House of Cards' IRL
2025-06-26 05:29Lorde moves the sun and the moon at Governors Ball
2025-06-26 04:58Very determined man mows the grass as a tornado swirls nearby
2025-06-26 04:27Newsletter
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.
Comments (3525)
Ignition Information Network
Hidden Siri Commands and Unusual Responses
2025-06-26 06:19Co-creation Information Network
Surprise! Apple unveils the iMac Pro, the 'most powerful Mac ever'
2025-06-26 05:47Habit Information Network
Dad wears Pikachu tie made by his son for a very special reason
2025-06-26 05:25Quality Information Network
Corporate recruitment event is a real
2025-06-26 05:04Exquisite Information Network
Skype is finally shutting down
2025-06-26 04:00