Travel retailer Dubai Duty Free (DDF) is now accepting Alipay+ payment solutions at its Dubai International and Al Maktoum airport duty free stores, enabling more customers to use their domestic digital wallets.

Shoppers from South Korea, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Mongolia, Italy, the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao can now make payment through their local e-wallet providers.

Alipay+ partners now accepted by the retailer include Alipay, AlipayHK, MPay, GCash, Kakao Pay, Naver Pay, Toss Pay, OCBC, TrueMoney, Hipay and Tinaba.

DDF said it is among the latest retail and tourism businesses in the United Arab Emirates to integrate Alipay+.

The partnership with the payment provider follows the retailer’s 40th anniversary celebrations last month. 

To mark the occasion, DDF unveiled a series of promotions and pre-Christmas deals across perfumes, cosmetics, liquor, watches, jewelry, confectionery, and leather goods.

Dubai Duty Free ‘Very excited’ by the partnership

“At Dubai Duty Free, we strive to provide a convenient and excellent shopping experience for our customers,” said Dubai Duty Free Executive Vice Chairman & CEO, Colm McLoughlin. 

“We are therefore very excited about this partnership with Alipay+ to provide a seamless travel and checkout experience for them. 

“For key travellers from Asia and Europe, it is of great advantage to be able to use their choice of payment, which they already use at home, without any exchange of cash.”

Guoming Cheng, general manager of Ant Group in Europe and Middle East, added: “We are thrilled to launch Alipay+ cross-border payment technology and marketing solutions at fast-growing global retailers like Dubai Duty Free to support convenient digital payment options so that international passengers can enjoy a seamless experience just the same way they do at home. 

“From Dubai taxis to Dubai Duty Free and more tourism facilities, we are looking forward to upgrading the checkout experience across the region and support the growth of smart travel.”

Earlier this week, Dubai Duty Free embarked on its first tree planting activity for 2024, where forty employees planted Ghaf seedlings – the national tree of the UAE – at Hemaya School in Deira, Dubai.