AlipayHK accepted for metro in Guangzhou

Passengers from Hong Kong using AlipayHK, the version of Alipay in the special administrative region, can use their QR codes for payments while traveling on public transportation in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, starting on Monday, said the local metro company.

Users of AlipayHK, owned by digital technology giant Ant Group, only need access the "Transport" page in the app, select "Guangzhou", or use the search bar at the top of the homepage to search for "Guangzhou Metro", and then follow the instructions to activate the service.

The move allows users to generate a QR code for traveling on public transportation in the city, including subways, buses, trams and ferries as well as the metro service in Foshan, a city neighboring Guangzhou.

Using the AlipayHK QR code for travel payments will be settled in Hong Kong dollars, and users will enjoy monthly cumulative actual expenditure discounts in accordance with Guangzhou's public transportation fare policy.

The fare policy for public transportation in Guangzhou includes a 20 percent discount for monthly cumulative actual transactions reaching 80 yuan ($11.11) and a 50 percent discount for 200 yuan or more in expenditure, said Guangzhou Metro Group.

The seamless interconnection of public transportation supports the practical implementation of the "One Journey, Multiple Stops" tourism initiative in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, said Venetia Lee, general manager of Ant Group Greater China International Business.

"As Guangzhou is one of the most popular cities in the GBA for Hong Kong residents, the digital payment move for public transportation (in Guangzhou) undoubtedly enhances the convenience of living and traveling for Hong Kong residents in the area," said Lee.

Lee expressed her anticipation of the expansion of AlipayHK's transportation blueprint in the GBA.

"There is great anticipation of leveraging the influence of Guangzhou Metro to swiftly connect transportation in other cities within the area, truly enabling Hong Kong to achieve transportation connectivity by using one app," she said.

Guangzhou and Hong Kong, as core cities in the GBA, have close intercity connections, with the metro being the primary mode of public transportation for local passengers.

The collaboration between Guangzhou Metro and AlipayHK to promote QR code-based travel represents a significant development step for AlipayHK, which has become the first overseas payment tool to be integrated into the public transportation service in Guangzhou.

This initiative plays a positive role in promoting cooperation, linkage and coordinated development among cities in the GBA, as well as in the integration and interoperability of rail transit, according to Guangzhou Metro.

The metro company will continue its efforts to promote one QR payment code for all to access urban rail transit nationwide, further realizing the strategic deployment of using one ticket for public transportation in the GBA.

Guangzhou has so far achieved interoperability of QR codes of payment modalities for subway services with 12 other domestic cities.