Alibaba Group and Jack Ma's online payment platform Alipay has partnered with Cambodia's DaraPay to expand its services in the Southeast Asian country. The partnership will allow Alipay users to use their mobile app wallets on all DaraPay POS payment systems across thousands of establishments in Cambodia.
DaraPay general manager Phok Ratha mentioned in a statement on Monday that the partnership should result in enhanced convenience for Chinese tourists visiting the country. Those with existing Alipay accounts should now be able to use their wallets in more than 3,000 outlets located in the capital city of Phnom Penh and other major Cambodian cities such as Kandal, Siem Reap, and Kampong Cham.
Alipay, which has more than 1.2 billion users across the globe, is the preferred payment method used by Chinese tourists. Being able to use the service in other countries such as Cambodia should make budgeting and spending much easier for tourists as they will no longer need to withdraw cash or make cross-app money transfers to make payments.
Purchasing goods and services in shops and establishments with either Alipay or DaraPay will only require users to scan special QR codes. Ratha stated that his company is very much excited to be working with Alipay to both provide great customer service to clients and customers as well as to help boost tourism in Cambodia.
The executive explained that the convenience, security, and simplicity of the combined systems and the scale of its merchant partners should eliminate any headaches for travelers so they can better enjoy their vacations. Ratha believes that the partnership should be equally beneficial to both companies given the increasing amount of Chinese tourists in Cambodia.
Apart from having more than 3,000 merchant partners across Cambodia, which include restaurants, stores, cafes, supermarkets, ride-hailing services, hotels, and bars, DaraPay also offers other mobile financial services. The app functions are relatively similar to Alibaba's Alipay service in that it offers its users quick and easy ways to make payments, send money, pay loans, and pay bills.
Cambodia has seen continued growth in the number of Chinese tourists visiting each year. In 2018, the country's Ministry of Tourism reported that Cambodia had over 2 million Chinese tourists flying to the country. That number is expected to rise to as high as 2.6 million this year. The ministry also forecasts that the number of Chinese tourists could exceed 3 million in 2020 and up to 5 million by 2025.
