From late September 2025, Japan’s largest cashless payment service, PayPay, will be accepted at more than two million merchants across South Korea through Alipay+, a cross-border digital payment service operated by Ant International.

The arrangement will enable PayPay’s 70 million registered users to make payments wherever the Alipay+ logo is displayed, provided they have completed identity verification (eKYC) on the PayPay app in Japan.

The move marks the beginning of PayPay’s overseas expansion.

Users will be able to pay at a wide range of locations, including retail outlets, restaurants, cultural sites, shopping centres, and traditional markets.

Promotional offers are expected to be introduced in collaboration with PayPay, Alipay+ and local merchants.

Alipay+ currently connects 100 million merchants in 70 countries and regions worldwide.

Tourism plays a significant role in South Korea’s economy, particularly for SMBs.

South Korea remains the most visited destination for Japanese travellers.

According to the Korea Tourism Organization, more than 3.2 million Japanese tourists visited South Korea in 2024, an increase of 39.2% compared with 2023.

Spending has expanded beyond duty-free stores to include beauty retailers, lifestyle shops, and food vendors.

With PayPay’s introduction, Alipay+ now supports 17 payment partners in South Korea, including e-wallets and banking apps from mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Southeast Asia and Italy.

Usage extends across retail, dining, transport and other tourism-related sectors.

In Japan, Alipay+ currently enables 21 digital wallets and banking apps from 13 countries and regions to be accepted at more than three million merchants, working in partnership with PayPay and other local providers.

“PayPay strives to be a trusted companion for our users, and this milestone marks the start of extending the journey overseas through our collaboration with Alipay+,”

said Masayoshi Yanase, Corporate Officer at PayPay Corporation.

“With our secure and user-friendly technology, PayPay and Alipay+ aim to make payments seamless for travellers while supporting merchants in tapping into new opportunities in the tourism economy.”

“We are pleased to work with industry leaders like PayPay to elevate consumer experience while fostering local economic growth through continuous innovation,”

said Weixiao Jiang, General Manager of Alipay+ Japan, Korea and North America at Ant International.

“Our goal is to ensure that travellers can rely on familiar and secure payment methods abroad, while enabling merchants, particularly small businesses, to connect with them more easily.”

Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Hong Kong, based on image by Daniel Bernard via Unsplash