Ant Group’s Alipay Tap! recognised at Asian Technology Excellence Awards 2025 for digital payments innovation

Alipay Tap! streamlines mobile transactions with one-tap convenience for over 200 million users.

Ant Group was awarded the China Technology Excellence Award for Digital - Payments at the Asian Technology Excellence Awards 2025 for its innovative Alipay Tap! solution.

Launched in June 2024, Alipay Tap! redefines the payment journey by enabling consumers to complete transactions with a simple phone tap. By September 2025, the solution had already gained over 200 million users across China, reflecting its rapid adoption and success in enhancing convenience for both consumers and merchants.

Simplifying digital payments

China is widely recognised as the global leader in mobile payments, with penetration reaching 86% by the end of 2023. QR code payments have become a staple of daily life, transforming how people shop, dine, and access services. Yet Ant Group identified opportunities to make the experience even faster and more seamless.

Unlike traditional QR payments that require users to open an app, scan a code, and confirm the amount, Alipay Tap! reduces the process to three easy steps: unlock the phone, tap, and confirm. This streamlined interaction eliminates friction and shortens checkout times.

Supporting merchants and customer engagement

For merchants, Alipay Tap! offers straightforward integration. With a simple USB add-on to cash registers, businesses can support both the new tap function and existing QR code payments from providers such as WeChat Pay, Meituan Pay, QuickPass, and Alipay.

The solution also enhances customer engagement. Early adopters such as FamilyMart have seen membership sign-ups at checkout triple following integration with Alipay Tap!, showing how the solution strengthens loyalty programmes alongside payments.

As Alipay has grown from a simple e-wallet into a comprehensive digital platform connecting over 1 billion consumers with 80 million merchants across China, Alipay Tap! has become an easy entry point to Alipay’s wide range of services. Today, Alipay Tap! supports over 1,000 scenarios, including vending machines, power bank rentals, and unlocking shared bikes, serving more than 5,000 brands, including Burger King and FamilyMart, in over 400 Chinese cities.

Driving innovation and inclusivity

Alipay Tap! is designed as a simpler extension of QR code payments rather than a traditional NFC card emulation. The smartphone functions in ‘reader mode,’ scanning a merchant’s NFC tag to initiate the transaction within the Alipay app. This innovation ensures familiarity for consumers whilst raising the bar on convenience.

Ant Group has also made the service accessible to international visitors. Travellers can bind their international bank cards to an Alipay account, allowing them to pay and travel like locals across China.

According to Cyril Han, CEO of Ant Group, the company has committed RMB10b to expanding the Alipay Tap! ecosystem, helping partners, particularly small businesses, scale through technology.

The Asian Technology Excellence Awards celebrates the most outstanding technological innovations and achievements across Asia, recognising organisations that leverage emerging technologies to drive business value, strengthen customer experiences, and transform industries.

The Asian Technology Excellence Awards is presented by Asian Business Review. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2026 awards programme and be acclaimed for your company's outstanding retail initiatives, please contact Julie Anne Nunez-Difuntorum at +65 3158 1386 ext 242 or [email protected].