Tag: alibaba

Apple may bring its mobile payments service to China

| October 6, 2015

China is becoming an attractive mobile payments market for Apple

Apple is looking to bring its new mobile payments service to China, which has become a very powerful mobile shopping market. The company has officially launched Apple Pay in the United Kingdom, hoping for the country to be the first success in its gradual progression into other countries with its mobile payments plans. Apple has been considering breaking into the Chinese market since May of this year, when the company began speaking to Alibaba and several Chinese banks.

Apple may soon begin to compete with Alibaba

Earlier this year, it appeared that Apple had intended to partner with Alipay, Alibaba’s mobile payments unit. No official announcement have been made to this effect, however, and Apple may opt to partner directly with banks instead, which may be quite complicated. Alibaba will be a formidable competitor for Apple, however, as the company has already established a very powerful position in the Chinese’s financial sector. Alibaba is one of the largest retailers in the country and has beaten out many others when it comes to mobile payments.

Chinese consumers have a great deal of love for mobile payments

Mobile Payments - Apple and ChinaMobile payments have become quite important for consumers in China. Many consumers have begun to rely on their mobile devices to get their shopping done, as this represents a more convenient way to purchase products. A growing number of retailers in China are beginning to support mobile payments in their physical stores, which is something that many consumers have been demanding for some time.

Competition in China expected to grow in coming years

Competition in China’s mobile payments space is relatively low, largely due to companies like Alibaba establishing a massive market share. This is expected to change in the coming years, however, as more companies begin showing interest in the mobile market. Apple, in particular, believes that China could be a very prominent opportunity for its mobile payments endeavors. Apple has already expressed interest in the Chinese market, but has yet to unveil any specific plans to bring Apple Pay to the country.

Alibaba and Ant Financial invest in Indian mobile commerce firm

| October 5, 2015

Companies have invested in India’s leading mobile commerce organization, Paytm

Alibaba and its affiliate Ant Financial Services have made an investment in Paytm, a prominent mobile commerce company based in India. The two companies have invested $680 million in Paytm, which will provide the firm with the financial support it needs to continue expanding its services in India. Alibaba continues to show strong interest in mobile commerce in other countries and has become one of the major competitors in the mobile payments market in Asia.

Investments will help Paytm expand its services in order to better engage consumers

The investment will help Paytm scale up and continue developing is mobile commerce ecosystem. Some of the funds will go toward marketing the company’s services, developing new payment technologies, and hiring additional staff. Earlier this year, Paytm also received an investment from Alipay, which is Alibaba’s mobile commerce unit operated by Ant Financial Services. The amount invested by Alipay was undisclosed, but provided significant support to Paytm.

India is becoming a very attractive mobile commerce market

Mobile Commerce in IndiaDaniel Zhang, CEO of Alibaba, notes that India has become a very promising mobile commerce market. E-commerce has thrived in the country and more consumers are beginning to use their smartphones in order to shop online. Smartphone adoption has accelerated, which has furthered the exposure of consumers to the concept of mobile commerce, which many have fallen in love with. Shopping with a mobile device often represents a more convenient way for consumers to get their shopping done, especially for those that have long commutes.

Companies are showing strong interest in India’s mobile market

Several foreign companies have begun showing interest in India’s mobile commerce space. These companies are showing support for various mobile payments firms in the country, which is increasing the competition in the market. With increases competition, firms are beginning to feel pressure to provide better mobile commerce services to consumers. They are also seeking to form better partnerships with financial service firms in India and banks that have also taken an interest in the mobile space.