Imagine a world where you never touch cash, never swipe a card, and never carry a wallet. Welcome to Alipay — “one app to rule them all”.
You can rent bikes, ride the metro, call taxis, book hotels and train tickets, and even buy an eSIM — all inside Alipay.
All merchants — even street artists — accept Alipay. Because paying is too easy. Scan a QR code → done.
And yes — foreigners can use Alipay. Just sign up and link a bank card.
Most countries still use cash because private banks won’t support a competitor like Alipay. But in China, where the biggest banks are state-owned, the government is willing to serve the public even if banks lose profit.
Alipay started 20 years ago with three people — a finance manager, an accountant, and a cashier. Now it’s valued at 80 billion USD. Crazy, huh?