UAE: Astra Tech, Ant Group to launch digital payments solution aimed at tourists, visitors

Image: Astra Tech

Consumer tech company Astra Tech has partnered with the Ant Group, one of the world’s largest digital payment platforms.

The collaboration will see the integration of Alipay+’s global cross-border digital payment and marketing solutions through the PayBy merchant network, covering the entire Abu Dhabi fleet of nearly 7,000 taxis and over 3,000 merchants nationwide.

Set to kick off this month, the integration aims to enable over 1.4 billion wallet users to conduct transactions seamlessly, directly from their home e-wallets while visiting the UAE, devoid of any currency conversion.

Astra Tech is among the first regional partners to launch Alipay+ solutions, adding to the company’s portfolio of groundbreaking fintech offerings on its Payby and Botim platforms.

Benefits for customers according to Astra tech

Under the partnership, the first wave of implementation will see PayBy’s merchant network capable of accepting payments from six Alipay+ partner e-wallets.

Catering to tourists from regions such as China, South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Italy, and more via their respective native e-wallets such as Alipay, MPay, Kakao Pay, GCash, TrueMoney and Tinaba.

The collaboration aims to provide an unprecedented seamless payment and digital marketing experience for international visitors.

It facilitates settlement processes and mobile-based transactions through Alipay+, whether in physical stores or online platforms.

Simple payment process

The in-store payment process is simplified through more digital options; customers can scan the QR code at the cashier, enter the amount for payment, and confirm the transaction, or merchants can scan the payment QR codes presented by the customers on their mobile phones.

This streamlines the checkout process and addresses challenges such as having to exchange currencies, withdraw cash, and language barriers.

Abdallah Abu Sheikh, co-founder of Astra Tech and CEO of Botim stated: “Our milestone collaboration with Alipay+ aligns perfectly with the UAE’s commitment to enhancing the payment ecosystem and fostering a commerce-friendly environment. We are thrilled to partner with Alipay+ to enhance secure and seamless payment processes, in line with Astra Tech’s vision of fostering global financial inclusion. Equally, expanding our fintech services internationally is a testament to our dedication to enabling effortless accessibility of payment solutions on a global scale.”

Alipay+ and PayBy will expand collaboration for online services and merchant digitisation efforts, including the introduction of mini-programmes for merchants that could further enhance their engagement with customers from Asia and Europe.

Guoming Cheng, general manager of Ant Group in Europe and Middle East, said: “Our alliance with Astra Tech not only opens doors to a seamless and integrated digital payment experience at physical stores in the Middle East, but also propels us towards a new era of strategic collaboration. This partnership leverages the combined global outreach of Alipay+ and PayBy-powered versatile and scalable integration solutions for the region.”

In other news, Astra Tech’s Botim unveiled its new multi-currency prepaid debit card, giving its users in the UAE who do not meet banks’ minimum income requirements access to digital payments and banking services.

Botim prepaid card users can now access a wide range of integrated financial services conveniently and securely, enabling digital and offline transactions and allowing for efficient budgeting, while eliminating the need to carry cash.