NewUber and Alipay expand partnership to facilitate payment in yuan when using ride-hailing app outside China

Uber, operator of the world’s largest ride-hailing mobile app service, is expanding its partnership with Chinese online payments giant Alipay to serve more mainland tourists travelling overseas.

San Francisco-based Uber said on Tuesday that its cross-border payments alliance with Alipay will now cover mainland travellers in all 400 cities, across 68 countries and territories, where its ride-hailing service is available.

Their initiative would appear to heat up the competition with Didi Chuxing, China’s leading car-hailing app operator, which last month allowed its 300 million registered users to access the driver network of Uber’s American rival Lyft whentravelling in the United States.

Uber and Alipay initially rolled out their cross-border payments collaboration in February, so mainland travellers in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan can pay for their Uber rides directly in yuan using their connected Alipay accounts.

Alipay is part of the Alibaba Group affiliate Ant Financial Services, which set last month a record US$4.5 billion round of private equity funding -- the world’s largest single private placement by an internet company. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post. Chinese online search market leader Baidu is a strategic investor in Uber’s business on the mainland.

“Alipay’s collaboration with Uber reflects a step forward for Ant Financial’s global strategy,” Eric Jing, the president of Hangzhou-based Ant Financial, said.