Alipay Tap!, a QR code-based contactless payment and customer engagement solution introduced by Alipay in China in June 2024, has reportedly won over 100 million users. The Alipay tap hits 100M milestone was reached on 24 April 2025, within 11 months.

Alipay Tap! is designed to streamline the payment process for consumers and merchants, offering a smoother alternative to China’s widely used “scan-and-pay” model.

Users simply tap their unlocked phone on a merchant’s terminal or an Alipay Tap! Tag, streamlining the payment process. There’s no need to open an app, scan a code, or navigate through multiple screens.

Early adopter data revealed that the solution enables merchants to seamlessly integrate customer engagement tools into the one-tap payment experience.

FamilyMart, the nationwide convenience store chain, has apparently reported a threefold increase in membership sign-ups at checkout following its recent integration.

According to Cyril Han Xinyi, CEO of Ant Group, the company has committed RMB 10 billion (HK$10.64 billion) to grow the Alipay Tap! ecosystem, empowering partners, especially small businesses, to scale.

He shared at the 2025 Alipay Tap! Ecosystem Summit,

“We believe Alipay Tap! and more similar exciting new initiatives will continue to transform the checkout moment into a wider gateway to enriched consumer experience and merchant business growth.”

International visitors to China can now link their foreign bank cards to an Alipay account, allowing them to pay and travel like a local.

The Alipay Tap! solution integrates with over 300 use cases, including food ordering at restaurants, vending machine purchases, power bank rentals, and managing customer loyalty and membership programs.

Currently available in over 400 cities across China, Alipay Tap! supports over 5,000 brands, including well-known names like Burger King and FamilyMart.

As Alipay Tap hits 100M and continues to grow, Alipay is also ramping up its investments in AI and innovative agent-based solutions. In March 2025, the company introduced a suite of AI tools designed specifically for the healthcare sector.

Among these is the AI Healthcare Manager, integrated into the Alipay app, which provides access to over 30 services, including doctor recommendations, medical report analysis, and personalised health advice.

Since its launch in September 2024, this feature has already served 40 million users, demonstrating its significant impact and utility.

In April 2025, Alipay introduced its Model Context Protocol (MCP) payment server. It enables merchants and developers to use natural language to access Alipay payment services through their preferred MCP clients or AI agents.

Source of image: Edited from Ant Group

*Currency change of ¥1.000 CNY = $1.064 HKD applied