QR Ph links Philippines merchants to Alipay+ wallets

Philippine Payments Management and Alipay+ have enabled Alipay+ on QR Ph, linking the Philippines' national QR payment network with Alipay+'s international wallet network.

The arrangement allows overseas consumers using supported e-wallets and banking apps to scan and pay at merchants that already accept QR Ph nationwide. Merchants do not need a separate code to receive those payments, as transactions can be made through existing QR Ph acceptance points.

This extends the reach of a domestic payment rail that has grown quickly in the Philippines. According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' 2025 Report on E-Payments Measurement, digital payments accounted for 64.69% of retail transaction volume in the country, while QR Ph transactions increased more than 13-fold in 2025.

The development also supports the central bank's push to shift the payments market away from cash and towards wider digital use. PPMI operates within that framework as the body designated to work with supervised financial institutions on payment system initiatives.

Merchant access

For businesses, the immediate effect is that QR Ph can now be used to accept payments from travellers and other international users whose domestic apps are connected to Alipay+. That could be particularly relevant for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, which often rely on simple payment tools and may have limited access to more complex cross-border commerce systems.

PPMI said the change broadens QR Ph's role beyond domestic retail payments, framing the link-up as a way to connect local merchants to a wider pool of consumers without requiring a separate acceptance network.

"QR Ph has played an important role in advancing a more connected and interoperable digital payments ecosystem in the Philippines, making digital payments more accessible and convenient for businesses and consumers. Through our partnership with Alipay+, we are extending that connectivity beyond our borders, enabling Filipino merchants - particularly SMEs - to serve international customers more seamlessly. This is an important step in bringing the benefits of digitalisation into everyday commerce, while creating new opportunities for Filipino businesses to participate and grow in the global digital economy," said Carmelita "Melit" Araneta, General Manager, Philippine Payments Management.

The partnership also gives Alipay+ another tie-in with a national payment system, a model it has pursued in multiple markets. The group is connected to more than 10 national QR schemes across Asia, the Middle East and Latin America.

Network scale

Alipay+ said its wider network now links more than 2 billion consumer accounts, over 50 mobile payment providers and more than 10 national switches. It also said merchants using QR and near-field communication payment acceptance are present across more than 220 markets.

That scale matters for destinations seeking to capture spending from inbound travellers who prefer to pay through familiar mobile apps rather than cards or cash. For the Philippines, it means the same QR code used by domestic consumers can now be used by a larger group of foreign wallet users, subject to participating providers.

Ant International said the aim is to reduce friction for both sides of a transaction, positioning the QR Ph connection as part of a broader effort to make existing national payment infrastructure usable in international commerce.

"Our role is to make it as easy as possible for a customer to pay with the mobile app they already use, while helping the merchant participate in a much bigger marketplace. The Philippines has built a strong digital payments ecosystem through QR Ph, and by connecting that ecosystem with Alipay+, we are helping bring the benefits of digitalisation to the next level, giving Filipino businesses a more seamless way to serve consumers from around the world," said Danny Chung, General Manager of Alipay+ Global Growth Centre, Ant International.

PPMI was established in 2017 under the National Payment Systems Act and was designated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas as the Payments System Management Body in 2018 under the National Retail Payment System framework. Its board includes Chief Executive representatives from banks, non-bank e-money issuers and independent executives, while members participate in one or both of the country's automated clearing houses, PESONet and InstaPay.

For QR Ph, the latest step turns a domestic acceptance tool into a channel for international wallet payments at scale, without requiring merchants to replace existing payment displays or adopt a separate scheme.