Alipay partners US-based Yelp to offer the app's local content to Chinese travelers
Alibaba's financial affiliate Ant Financial said its mobile payment service Alipay has partnered Yelp to offer the US lifestyle service review and reservation app's local content to millions of Chinese travelers through the Alipay app.
Alipay’s users visiting New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco will be to discover, plan, make reservations and share experiences at any business in the four cities through Yelp's rich content and extensive platform of local merchants, according to a joint statement today.
Alipay's more than 520 million users can also pay in yuan at eligible retailers, as Internet companies are tapping a new trend to offer payment options in the Chinese currency for outbound travelers.
“Our partnership with Yelp expedites our goal toward a digital lifestyle and represents a substantial opportunity for US businesses to connect with the growing audience of Chinese travelers that would otherwise be difficult to reach,” said Souheil Badran, president of Alipay North America.
Through the Discover tab on the Alipay smartphone app, Chinese travelers in the US are able to seamlessly access Yelp content to find local restaurants, bars and shops as well as directions and existing reviews and comments in English.
Chad Richard, senior vice president of corporate and business development at Yelp, said in a statement, “By collaborating with Alipay, we can help Chinese consumers find the perfect place to eat, shop, drink, relax and play when they’re visiting the United States.”
In a separate release, Alipay said it will also connect with Hong Kong dining platform OpenRice by the end of September. OpenRice's 4.8 million users can also link their accounts with Alipay payment option in either yuan or Hong Kong dollar.
