Ant International adds Hang Seng to Alipay+ network

Ant International has added Hang Seng Bank in Hong Kong to its Alipay+ payments network.

Hang Seng Mobile App users can now make QR code payments in the Chinese mainland and overseas, giving them access to more than 100 million merchants in more than 55 countries and regions through Alipay+.

The addition expands Alipay+ beyond its existing base of more than 50 digital wallets and financial institutions. Its banking partners include both established lenders and digital-only banks.

Ant International is seeking to expand its role in cross-border mobile payments as travel and overseas spending recover across Asia Pacific. It expects demand for outbound cross-border payments from the region to grow faster than the global average.

The company cited projections that consumer-to-consumer and consumer-to-business outbound cross-border payment volume from Asia Pacific could reach 3.7 trillion by 2032, nearly double the level recorded in 2024.

For banks, cross-border payments can be added to existing mobile apps through a single connection to the Alipay+ network. The system is accepted in more than 220 markets, according to Ant International, and also links with more than 10 national QR payment systems, including Malaysia's DuitNow, Thailand's PromptPay and Uzbekistan's HUMO.

That structure means participating banks do not need separate arrangements with merchants in each destination market. Instead, they can extend payment acceptance for customers travelling abroad through one integration.

Regional footprint

Banks in several Asian markets have already connected their users to Alipay+ through their mobile apps. They include Public Bank in Malaysia, Bank of the Philippine Islands and Asia United Bank in the Philippines, OCBC in Singapore, Kasikorn Bank and Siam Commercial Bank in Thailand, and Vietcombank in Vietnam.

The addition of Hang Seng gives Alipay+ its first bank partner in Hong Kong. It also reflects growing competition among banks and payment groups to keep customers using their own apps for everyday transactions, including spending outside their home markets.

Ant International is also using the network to promote other services for banks. Through its Alipay+ Super App Platform, lenders can add mini-programmes and plug-in services to their apps, including travel booking and social functions designed to increase user activity.

Broader banking push

Beyond Alipay+, Ant International is working with banks on foreign exchange and cross-border treasury tools. These include Falcon TST, an artificial intelligence foreign exchange forecasting model that is in use at banks including Citi and Barclays, according to the company.

It is also offering Whale, a blockchain-based cross-border liquidity transfer platform. Standard Chartered and HSBC are among the banks working with Ant International to connect the system to their existing infrastructure.

The broader strategy shows how payment providers are trying to deepen ties with banks rather than only compete with them for customer transactions. By embedding merchant acceptance, travel-related services and settlement tools into bank systems, firms such as Ant International are positioning themselves as infrastructure providers to the financial sector.

The focus on customer retention comes as banks across the region face pressure to justify continued investment in digital channels. Cross-border payment use cases offer one way to increase app engagement by giving customers a reason to rely on their bank's own interface while travelling.

Ant International said its banking network now includes a mix of incumbent and digital institutions, with the appeal centred on giving users a familiar payment experience abroad without requiring banks to build separate merchant relationships in each market.