TH, SG and MY in top 10 list of Alipay's overseas transaction during Golden Week

Malaysia and Singapore retained its fourth and sixth positions in terms of Alipay transaction volume by mainland Chinese during the Golden Week (1-7 October) holiday compared to last year, according to a summary on overseas spending released by mobile payment platform.

Overall, the total transaction volume increased by 10% and average spending per user increased by 15% this year. In-store transaction volume was 110% of the same period in 2018.

The number of users born in the 2000s who used Alipay when travelling abroad increased by 130%, compared to the same period last year. At the same time, the number of users born before the 1960s increased by 30%.

Meanwhile, findings also pointed towards an increasing preference for unique travel experiences. For example, the sales of “durian experience” packages in Malaysia and Thailand made through Alibaba’s travel service platform Fliggy increased by 60% compared to the same period last year.

Niche destinations are also becoming more popular, with travel packages booked for Montenegro, Uzbekistan, and Serbia increasing by 14 times, 4.7 times, and 1.8 times respectively. However, European destinations still topped the list in terms of the highest total spend per user. UAE and Japan ranked the highest outside of Europe.

Emerging destinations saw some of the fastest growth in Alipay use compared to 2018. The Philippines experienced 26 times the volume of transactions this year due to the mass rollout of Alipay to local merchants over the last 12 months, said the press release.

More than 300,000 merchants in 55 countries and regions participated in Alipay’s Golden Week campaign this year. Over one million e-gift packs were collected by users via a scan of the promotion QR code during the first four days of this year’s Golden Week.

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Last summer, the average spending per Alipay user in Malaysia between 1 July and 31 August was approximately SG$306.23 (approximately RM921.50). Coming in ninth, the country saw a 106% average increase in spending per Alipay user, and a 511% total increase in spending compared to the same period in 2017.

Meanwhile, Singapore was ranked seventh, with the average spending per Alipay user amounting to SG$352.35 (approximately RM1,060.30). The number represents a 32% average jump in spending per Alipay user and a 320% total increase in spending.

(Photo courtesy: 123rf)