Ant International Adds Hang Seng as First Hong Kong Partner on Alipay+

Ant International has brought Hang Seng Bank onto Alipay+, its unified wallet gateway, as the platform's first banking partner in Hong Kong.

The Alipay+ network now encompasses more than 50 digital wallets and financial institutions, spanning both traditional banks and digital-only providers.

Hang Seng Mobile App users can now make payments by scanning QR codes in mainland China and overseas, accessing more than 100 million merchants across over 55 countries and regions.

The company said the gateway enables banks to quickly establish new revenue streams, boost digital engagement, and roll out value-added services for users through cross-border payments.

Ant International tied the partnership to surging demand for outbound cross-border payments from Asia Pacific, which is forecast to grow faster than the global average.

Consumer-to-consumer and consumer-to-business outbound cross-border payment volume from the region could reach $3.7 trillion by 2032, nearly doubling from 2024 levels.

Alipay+ is accepted in more than 220 markets and connects with over ten national QR systems, including Malaysia's DuitNow, Thailand's PromptPay, and Uzbekistan's HUMO.

Banks in several markets have already linked their mobile app users to Alipay+ for cross-border payments:

• Public Bank Berhad 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
• Vietcombank in Vietnam

Ant International provides digital payments, digitisation, and financial technology services.

The company recently closed a Series A equity financing round of approximately $1.2bn, with plans to use the funding to accelerate global expansion and support product development across merchant payment, account management, and other financial services.