Ingenico Group Bloomberg

• Agreement opens up hundreds of stores to Alipay mobile wallet
• Aims to grab share of transactions made by Chinese tourists

Alipay, an affiliate of billionaire entrepreneur Jack Ma’s Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., is pushing forward with plans to expand in Europe, unveiling a partnership with Ingenico Group SA that paves the way for hundreds of continental retailers to accept China’s biggest mobile wallet in popular destinations.To cater to Chinese tourists visiting Europe, Alipay needs brick and mortar stores from LVMH to Sainsbury’s on board. An agreement with Ingenico, the processing platform that has thousands of merchants as its customers, will facilitate alliances as well as provide a technical piece of the puzzle, Douglas Feagin, who heads Alipay’s international business, said in an interview. The Chinese company is seeking partners from duty-free shops to luxury and department stores, he said.“Chinese customers traveling abroad - one of their primary goals is to buy things. It’s a very large market for us given most travelers are Alipay customers already, ” Feagin said in Paris. “This deal gives us immediate access to merchants across Europe, more quickly and more efficiently.” Exclusive insights on technology around the world. Get Fully Charged, from Bloomberg Technology. BusinessYour guide to the most important business stories of the day, every day. You will now receive the Business newsletter PoliticsThe latest political news, analysis, charts, and dispatches from Washington. You will now receive the Politics newsletter MarketsThe most important market news of the day. So you can sleep an extra five minutes. You will now receive the Markets newsletter PursuitsWhat to eat, drink, wear and drive – in real life and your dreams. You will now receive the Pursuits newsletter Game PlanThe school, work and life hacks you need to get ahead. You will now receive the Game Plan newsletter Alipay is targeting the 120 million Chinese people who traveled last year and spent $875 each on average during those trips. It promises to drive business to retailers, with a wallet app that lets some 450 million users pay, but also suggests stores, restaurants and pushes coupons. In comparison, only a few dozen million subscribers combined use mobile wallets by Apple Inc., Google or Samsung Electronics Co.Agreements are already in place to let Chinese customers use the Alipay wallet for a ride with Uber Technologies Inc., a booking on Airbnb Inc. or a purchase at Macy’s Inc. Alipay has no plans at this point to offer its services to consumers who aren’t from China.“We’re building the international business step by step. There’s a lot to do still with our core customer base, and it’s still expanding, ” Douglas said. Alipay has a market share of about 80 percent in mobile payments in China.