Alipay is Now Available for Visitors and Tourists in China

Visitors to China can now access the country's massive cashless economy, CNN reported. They will now be able to use mobile payments in mainland China, the largest company in the Alipay sector, owned by giant Alibaba, said on Tuesday.

Alipay has unveiled an international version of the popular application designed specifically for foreign tourists, which will facilitate their transactions in the country via smartphone when shopping, traveling and paying for food in restaurants.

This international version of Alipay does not require a Chinese bank account. Visitors can use the "prepaid card" service provided by the Bank of Shanghai. The prepaid cards expire after 90 days and any remaining money is automatically refunded.

In 2018, China was visited by nearly 31 million tourists, an increase of 4.7% on an annual basis, according to data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.