Ant International and AirAsia owner Capital A Berhad are exploring ways to integrate more local payments methods and payment orchestration services into Capital A’s platform.
The companies have formed a strategic partnership that also includes looking at marketing and digitization solutions for Capital A’s entire business ecosystem, which includes AirAsia, AirAsia MOVE and BigPay, according to a Friday (March 29) press release.
“We’re thrilled to embark on this transformative journey with Ant International,” Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A, said in the release. “Their global recognition as a financial technology powerhouse, coupled with their unparalleled expertise, is poised to propel rapid growth for our FinTech venture BigPay and our online travel app (OTA) AirAsia MOVE.”
The companies will work together to integrate Ant International’s Alipay+ eWallets as payment options within AirAsia MOVE’s payment flows, according to the release.
They will also collaborate on promoting AirAsia MOVE’s services to Ant International’s user base with targeted promotions, exclusive deals and cross-platform visibility for the online travel app’s services within the Alipay+ ecosystem, the release said.
In addition, BigPay will become an Alipay+ partner wallet and will explore using Alipay+ fraud prevention and other technologies, per the release.
AirAsia, which is Capital A’s airlines entity, will leverage Ant International’s Airline Controller payment orchestration solution and will work with Ant International to accept payment methods for online, offline and in-flight checkout, according to the release.
The Alipay+ Cross-border Mobile Payment Service encompasses 88 million merchants, 57 countries and regions, 1.5 billion consumer accounts, and 25 eWallets and banking apps, the release said.
“By leveraging Ant International’s innovative digital technology solutions and Capital A’s robust global ecosystem, we can bring more seamless services and diversified growth pathways for consumers and businesses in the region and beyond,” Yang Peng, CEO of Ant International, said in the release.
PYMNTS Intelligence has found that the travel and transportation sector is one of the major contributors to the digital transformation of economies worldwide.
Purchasing online airfare, local transportation apps and seeking online travel information are among the top activities with the largest increases in digital engagement, according to “How the World Does Digital: Daily Digital Engagement Hits New Heights.”