Alipay launches its mobile payment acceptance at Colombo Airport

Flemingo Duty Free, Cargills Bank and Supreme Paysez signed a strategic partnership agreement to roll out the Alipay mobile payment gateway in Colombo Airport’s duty free shops of Flemingo. A joint marketing arrangement is now in place, for Flemingo to offer customised and targeted shopping offers to Chinese passengers using Alipay.

Alipay, operated by Ant Financial Services Group, is the world’s leading online and mobile payment platform with over 700 million active users in mainland China. Alipay is the first Chinese mobile payment partner to make a presence at the Colombo Airport, with travellers from China growing in numbers and seen as one of the top spenders at the airport. This new mobile payment option will allow them to enjoy convenient payment mode when shopping at Flemingo Duty Free.

With the launch, Flemingo will be the first duty free operator in Colombo to launch AliPay as a mobile payment platform on a large scale across its wide range of commercial offerings. To celebrate the introduction of the new payment platform, both parties have launched a shopping promotion where Alipay users can enjoy discounts when shopping at Flemingo Duty Free.

Flemingo International COO – Asia P.K. Thimmayya said: “We are extremely excited to Launch Alipay at Bandaranaike International Airport, Sri Lanka. For the last seven years since we started our operations in Sri Lanka, we have implemented various marketing Partnerships and Initiatives to engage and excite the customers and make the shopping experience more memorable in our shops. It is a matter of great pride to associate with Alipay, which is the largest mobile payment platform in the world and give the ever growing Chinese passengers the option to pay in their most trusted payment platform in Sri Lanka. By launching the facility during the Golden Week, we feel that we have once again been successful in pioneering and delivering great value to the customers and all our valued partners. We are very confident that this facility will boost the Chinese shopper confidence in BIA as a trusted and favourable shopping destination.”

In his congratulatory message, Alipay Sri Lankan Country Manager Melvin Ooi said: “Partnering with innovative and ambitious partners like Supreme Paysez, we are giving Chinese travellers the safe, efficient and convenient payment services that they are used to at home. Along with the launch of this partnership, restaurants and offline retailers across Sri Lanka will be able to benefit from the development of technology. They will be able to easily reach out to booming Chinese customers that will ultimately help them grow their business.”

Cargills Bank MD/CEO Rajendra Theogarajah said: “Cargills Bank is truly delighted to partner Alipay and Supreme Paysez in rolling out a merchant acquiring solution to Flemingo Duty Free. This solution will extend the same degree of convenience Alipay users across the globe will enjoy when they patronise the Flemingo Duty Free outlet in Sri Lanka. This is only the beginning of an island-wide roll-out strategy Cargills Bank has planned with Supreme Paysez where Alipay will be made available across businesses whether micro, SME or large and will actively support the country’s strategy to attract a large number of Visitors from China.”

“We are proud to be partnering Alipay and Cargills Bank in this historic initiative. Considering the growing number of Chinese tourists and Alipay being their favourite digital wallet, this launch will set the trend on the usage of technology to boost trade. Flemingo Duty Free has always been an industry leader embracing cutting edge technology to enhance customer satisfaction. We thank them for giving us the entry to the nation’s airport which is very strategic for Chinese tourists. The partnership with Cargills is one which will expand our reach to the remotest of merchant network contributing to the overall growth of trade and payment digitisation of Sri Lanka,” said Supreme Global Holdings Ltd. Chairman R.M. Manivannan.