Sands China has started rolling out Alipay Tap across its resorts, making it the first business in Macao to adopt the payment service, which has been gaining popularity in the mainland since its introduction last July.
The service allows users to make a payment by simply tapping a merchant’s device with their unlocked phone. There is no need for the customer to first open their Alipay app. Some 300 merchants have been connected to the rollout’s first phase, according to a press release by Sands China, Alipay and Macau Pass.
Sands China’s vice president of e-commerce and digital marketing, Allan Chung, said the gaming operator was “proud to be the first in Macao to offer this innovative payment technology.”
[See more: E-payment provider Macau Pass pledges to retain its local identity]
Chung added that the initiative helped “foster an environment for the digital economy and technological innovation in Macao” and supported the government’s “smart city development agenda.”
Macau Pass meanwhile lent its “regional coverage and operational expertise” to the Alipay Tap scheme, the release noted. Its chief technical officer, Gavin Zhao, said that Macau Pass would integrate with Alipay technologies “create a new model of digital commerce with local characteristics” – hinting at further expansion in the SAR.
Alipay Tap is currently available in over 100 cities and more than 1,000 shopping malls and commercial districts on the mainland.
