Chinese payment services platform Alipay recently announced that it now provides services in 16 languages, which it expects will help international tourists travel in China more smoothly. This move follows recent efforts by the People’s Bank of China and other authorities to improve payment services, making them more accessible for both elderly individuals and foreigners.
Services on the smartphone app are now available in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian, Turkish, Malay, Indonesian, Thai, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese, in addition to the Chinese and English services already in use.
With the latest update, foreign visitors in China can use the app’s payment service in the language of their choosing. Other frequently used services in the app, including a hotel booking platform, can be translated into that language with a single click using Alipay’s translation tool.
The People’s Bank of China, the central bank, in February held a meeting to optimise payment services in the country. Relevant government authorities have since collaborated to refine the national payment services system, providing increased convenience to elderly people and foreigners in China.
