Overview

Alipay Statistics: Alipay is one of the world’s most popular digital payment apps, changing the way people pay for everyday purchases. What started as a secure payment service for online shopping has grown into a complete financial platform. Today, users can make payments, transfer money, pay bills, shop online, invest, and access many other financial services with just a few taps. Owned by Ant Group, Alipay serves hundreds of millions of users and millions of businesses in China and around the world. Its fast, secure, and easy-to-use features have made it a leader in digital payments.

This article highlights the latest Alipay statistics, including its users, market share, revenue, transaction volume, and global growth.

Curated Pick

  1. Alipay holds 54% of China’s online payment market, serving a country with 1,022 million mobile payment users.
  2. Alipay’s monthly active users in China reached approximately 965 million by May 2026.
  3. China’s mobile payments market is projected to grow from USD 15.86 billion in 2025 to USD 99.43 billion by 2031, at a 35.80% CAGR.
  4. By April 2026, Alipay+ connected over 2 billion user accounts and 150 million merchants worldwide.
  5. Alipay+ supports 300+ payment methods across 220+ markets, including 50 mobile payment partners and 10+ national QR payment systems.
  6. The Alipay+ network processes more than 20 million cross-border transactions every day.
  7. Ant International processed over 2 billion cross-border digital transactions during 2025.
  8. More than 90% of the 150 million+ merchants on the Alipay+ network are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
  9. In February 2026, Alipay’s AI Pay completed over 120 million AI-driven transactions in a single week.
  10. During the first 4 months of 2024, foreign tourist transaction volume in Xi’an increased by nearly after Alipay expanded its tourism payment services.

Evolution and Service Expansion of Alipay

  • Alipay started as a payment tool for Taobao, not as a financial technology company.
  • It solved trust issues by holding payments until buyers received products.
  • After success on Alibaba, Alipay expanded to other online merchants and offline retail.
  • Continuous product improvements helped attract more users.
  • Growing wallet balances led to the launch of Yu’EBao, offering higher returns than many bank deposits.
  • This expansion marked Alipay’s entry into financial technology services.
  • Alipay now operates under Ant Group, valued at USD 120 billion.
  • It offers digital payments, wealth management, small loans, and personal credit services.
  • Users can also access government services, healthcare, toll payments, and traffic fine payments through the app.
  • Additional features, such as checking baby name popularity, improve user engagement and strengthen Alipay’s ecosystem.

Alipay Milestones Timeline

  • 2004: Alipay was launched in Hangzhou by Alibaba Group as an online payment platform.
  • 2014: Ant Group (formerly Ant Financial) was established to manage Alipay and related financial services.
  • 2016: Ant Group reached around 450 million annual active users.
  • 2020: Alipay reported more than 1.3 billion users and supported over 80 million merchants worldwide.
  • 2025: Ant International processed more than 2 billion cross-border digital transactions.
  • 2026: Ant International expanded its network to 150 million+ merchants and more than 2 billion user accounts globally.

Alipay and the Rise of Agentic AI Commerce

Graphic_Alipay

(Source: nielseniq.com)

  • Alipay’s AI Pay processed over 120 million agent-driven transactions in a single week in February 2026.
  • Global agentic commerce could reach USD 3-5 trillion by 2030.
  • Agent-driven U.S. e‑commerce is projected at USD 190-385 billion by 2030, equivalent to roughly 10%-20% of total online retail.
  • Qwen achieved 100 million monthly active users within two months of launch.
  • Generative-AI traffic to U.S. retail sites grew by about +1,200% between July 2024 and February 2025.
  • Around 34% of consumers already use AI to research products, while roughly 8% have allowed AI to complete a purchase.

China Mobile Payments Outlook

China Mobile Payments Market Size

(Source: mordorintelligence.com)

  • China’s mobile payments market is expected to grow from USD 15.86 billion in 2025 to USD 21.54 billion in 2026.
  • The market is projected to reach USD 99.43 billion by 2031, expanding at a strong 35.80% CAGR during the forecast period.

By Segments

Segment Category2025 Market Share2031 Growth Outlook (CAGR)
Proximity Payments69.35%Remote Payments: 42.60%
In-store POS34.60%Person-to-Merchant: 40.90%
Retail & eCommerce37.80%Transportation & Logistics: 43.10%
Personal users89.60%Business usage: 43.40%

Alipay Monthly Active Users in China

  • Alipay’s monthly active users (MAUs) in China increased steadily between December 2021 and May 2026, reaching approximately 965 million users by May 2026.
MonthValue
March, 2025903
May, 2025914
August, 2025925
November, 2025936
February, 2026947
May, 2026965

Alipay Market Position and Global Expansion

Segment by Online-payment share

(Source: coinlaw.io)

  • Alipay holds 54% of China’s online payment market, making it one of the country’s leading digital payment platforms.
  • China has approximately 1,022 million mobile payment users.
  • Together, Alipay and WeChat Pay dominate China’s digital payment ecosystem and support daily transactions for millions of consumers.
  • By April 2026, Alipay+ connected over 2 billion user accounts and 150 million merchants worldwide.
  • The platform supported 300+ payment methods across 220+ markets, including 50 mobile payment partners and 10+ national QR payment systems.
  • Alipay+ processed more than 20 million cross-border transactions every day.

Cross-Border Payment Growth

  • Ant International processed more than 2 billion cross-border digital transactions during 2025.
  • The platform now handles over 20 million transactions daily.
  • More than 90% of the 150 million+ merchants on the network are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Partner Network Expansion

  • In early 2025, Alipay+ supported 35 international wallet and bank partners, connecting 1.6 billion user accounts with 90 million merchants across 66 markets.
  • By early 2026, the network expanded to 40 payment partners and more than 1.8 billion linked user accounts.
  • Its global coverage also increased to 100+ markets.

Alipay Versions Downloads

Alipay versions Downloads

(Source: enterpriseappstoday.com)

  • Alipay statistics depict the cumulative figure for all the versions of Alipay downloaded globally. It can be seen that version 0.1.0, color-coded in blue, has the highest total number of downloads among all the other versions.
  • This implies that version 0.1.0 was very popular or adopted very well, perhaps owing to certain features, improvements, or just the timing of the release that attracted many users to it as compared to the rest.

Leading Competitors Of Alipay

Top Competitors and Alternatives of Alipay

(Source: 6sense.com)

  • Shopify Pay leads with about 67.51% market share across 488,132 domains, making it the dominant competitor to Alipay.
  • Klarna holds roughly 7.37% market share on 53,296 domains, while Braintree has 4.66% on 33,717 domains.
  • CardinalCommerce, Razorpay, and Stripe Payments trail with market shares of 2.99%, 2.53%, and 1.50%, respectively.

Alipay Customers by Key Sectors

-alipay-customers-by-products-and-services

(Reference: 6sense.com)

  • Alipay’s payment processing is most widely used in financial services, with 39 customers, showing strong penetration in core financial products.
  • Wealth management and retail each account for 37 customers.
  • Asset management and accessories both report 34 customers, while retail banking has 33 customers.
  • Data analytics follows with 32 customers.

Industry-wise Distribution of Companies Accepting Alipay

Distribution Of Companies Using Alipay By Industry(Reference: enterpriseappstoday.com)

  • As per the Alipay statistics, the most considerable portion of the platform’s users comes from the information technology and services industry, which accounts for 17% of its usage.
  • In second place is the retail industry, which occupies 16% of the shares of the online payment platform. Computer software and internet services occupy 14% and 13% of Alipay, respectively.
  • On the other hand, the industrial sector accounts for only 12%, while 8% and 7% account for 8% and financial services, respectively.
  • The same applies to the car industry, where electronic and electrical components made goods account for 6% and 5%, respectively.
  • The same goes for clothing and fashion, which also constitute 5% of the user base, according to Alipay statistics.

Alipay Website Usage and Adoption Statistics

Alipay Usage Statistics

(Source: trends.builtwith.com)

  • Alipay has been identified on 63,615 websites, including 7,189 live websites and 56,426 historical users.
  • A total of 8,130 websites are listed with Alipay integration, including 941 websites that redirect to active domains.
  • India has 8 live websites using Alipay.
  • The United States leads with 2,728 live websites, followed by China (1,142) and Japan (241).
  • Other key markets include the Cocos (Keeling) Islands (234), Hong Kong (204), Taiwan (117), Australia (56), Canada (55), the United Kingdom (42), New Zealand (37), and Singapore (35).
  • The Alipay app is available on both iOS and Android, extending its reach across major mobile operating systems.
  • Popular iOS apps integrating Alipay include Nike, Agoda, Mi Fitness, WearFit, and Zepp Life.
  • On Android, widely downloaded apps with Alipay support include Booking.com, Galaxy Attack, Amazon Shopping App, and Huawei Mobile Services.
  • Around 45% of adults use Alipay every day, while 41% access the platform weekly.
  • Alipay applies limits on the amount users can add to their accounts for security and regulatory compliance.
  • Together, Alipay and WePay account for nearly 90% of China’s mobile payment market.

Alipay Expands Tourism Services in Xi’an

  • Alipay partnered with Xi’an to support the city’s strategy of becoming an international tourist-friendly destination.
  • During the first 4 months of 2024, transaction volume from foreign tourists in Xi’an increased by nearly 7× compared with the same period in 2023.
  • Alipay expanded payment services across tourist attractions, hotels, restaurants, and public transportation to improve visitor convenience.
  • International travelers can link Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Discover, and Diners Club International cards to the Alipay app for payments in China.
  • Visitors can also use partner e-wallets, including AlipayHK, MPay, Touch ‘n Go eWallet, Kakao Pay, Toss Pay, Naver Pay, Changi Pay, and OCBC.
  • Until 30 June 2024, tourists could redeem digital red envelopes for discounts at attractions, restaurants, food markets, and public transport across Xi’an.

Recent Developments in Alipay and Ant International (2025-2026)

  • April 2026: Ant International announced that it connects over 150 million merchants with more than 2 billion user accounts worldwide.
  • April 2026: The company confirmed plans to launch Alipay+ cross-border QR payments in partnership with the Saudi Central Bank and mada during 2026.
  • January 2026: Ant International reported processing more than 2 billion cross-border digital transactions across emerging markets in 2025.
  • January 2026: Its AI fraud detection system achieved 95% accuracy in identifying high-risk transactions and improved payment success rates by up to 13%.
  • Late 2025: Ant International partnered with Mexican fintech R2 to expand SME lending across Latin America.
  • January 2025: More than 90 million merchants used Alipay+ to support Chinese New Year travel payments.

End Note

Alipay has become one of the world’s leading digital payment platforms. It helps billions of users make fast, secure, and easy payments while supporting millions of businesses. The platform has also expanded into services like digital banking, wealth management, and cross-border payments. As cashless payments continue to grow, Alipay is expected to stay a key player in the global fintech market and drive the future of digital finance.

FAQ

How does Alipay work?

Alipay works by linking your bank card or wallet, then letting you pay, transfer money, and scan QR codes securely.

Is Alipay free to use?

Alipay is free for most personal payments, but some services and international transactions may charge fees.

Where is Alipay accepted?

Alipay is accepted by millions of merchants across China and many international locations.


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Maitrayee Dey
(Content Writer)
Maitrayee, after completing her graduation in Electrical Engineering, transitioned into the world of writing following a series of technical roles. She specializes in technology and Artificial Intelligence, bringing her experience as an Academic Research Analyst and Freelance Writer, with a focus on education and healthcare under the Australian system. From an early age, writing and painting have been her passions, leading her to pursue a full-time career in writing. In addition to her professional endeavors, Maitrayee also manages a YouTube channel dedicated to cooking.