Connecting 70 million PayPay users to over 2 million South Korean merchants

A milestone in PayPay’s overseas expansion

Starting from late September 2025, Japan's leading cashless payment service PayPay will be accepted at over 2 million merchants across South Korea through Alipay+, a global wallet gateway service operated by Ant International. This will allow its 70 million registered users to make seamless payments during their visit, wherever the Alipay+ logo is displayed.

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Starting from late September 2025, Japanese travellers will be able to use PayPay to make payments in South Korea at stores displaying the Alipay+ logo. PayPay will show users the payment amount in Korean won and its yen equivalent in real time.

This marks a new chapter in PayPay’s overseas expansion. From K-beauty stores and convenience chains to local eateries and cultural hotspots, from modern shopping malls to traditional markets, users who complete identity verification (eKYC) on PayPay app in Japan will pay with greater ease and benefit from diverse promotions supported by PayPay, Alipay+ and merchants in the coming months. Globally, Alipay+ connects a global network of 100 million merchants across 70 countries and regions, opening the door to broader market and consumer reach through future collaborations.

In South Korea, tourism is a vital growth driver for many small and medium businesses. South Korea remains the most popular overseas travel destination for the Japanese¹. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, over 3.2 million Japanese visited South Korea in 2024, about 39.2% increase from 2023². As inbound tourist spending expands from duty-free outlets to local stores such as K-beauty brands, lifestyle shops, and street food stalls, PayPay users will enjoy a more immersive K-style experience without needing to switch payment methods or navigate unfamiliar systems.

With the acceptance of PayPay in South Korea, Alipay+ now supports 17 payment partners in the country. Those include e-wallets and bank apps from Chinese mainland, Hong Kong SAR, Southeast Asia and Italy, with growing adoption across shopping, transportation, dining, and other key traveller touchpoints.

The collaboration reflects the continued expansion of the PayPay–Alipay+ partnership. In Japan, Alipay+ brings 21 digital wallets and bank apps from 13 countries and regions to over 3 million merchants in the tourism sector through collaborations with PayPay and other local partners.

"PayPay strives to be a trusted companion for our users, and this milestone marks the start of extending the journey overseas through our collaboration with Alipay+," said Masayoshi Yanase, Corporate Officer, PayPay Corporation. "With our secure and user-friendly technology, PayPay and Alipay+ aim to make payments seamless for travellers while supporting merchants in tapping into new opportunities in the tourism economy."

"Alipay+ is excited to work with industry leaders like PayPay to elevate consumer experience while fostering local economic growth through continuous innovation," said Weixiao Jiang, General Manager of Alipay+ Japan, Korea and North America, Ant International. "Working with our partners, we are committed to ensuring that travellers can rely on the familiarity, security, and convenience of their trusted payment apps when abroad, while making it easier for merchants, especially small businesses, to connect with them."

About Alipay+

Ant International's Alipay+ is a unified wallet gateway with cross-border payment and digitisation services that help connect global merchants to consumers. Consumers enjoy seamless payments a broad choice of deals and the convenience of digital services using their preferred payment app/e-wallet while travelling abroad. Many small and medium-sized businesses already use Alipay+ digital tools to enhance efficiency and achieve omni-channel growth.

¹ JTB Tourism Research & Consulting: Japanese outbound travel trend (May 2025)

² Korea Tourism Organization: Korea Tourism Statistics for December 2024

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