Ant International Leverages Qr Networks To Power Over Two Bln Cross-border Transactions In 2025

From Fatin Umairah Abdul Hamid

BANGKOK, Jan 13 (Bernama) -- Singapore-based digital payments and financial services provider Ant International supported more than two billion cross-border digital transactions in 2025 for merchants across its core emerging markets, including Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America.

Ant International president Douglas Feagin said the company is accelerating the rollout of its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered financial and commerce solutions, customised for local market needs.

He said that, as part of this effort, the company’s global wallet gateway, Alipay+, has collaborated with 11 national quick response (QR) code payment networks worldwide, offering a suite of cross-border mobile payment and digitalisation technology solutions that enable mobile payment service providers to connect global merchants with consumers.

“In ASEAN, Alipay+ partners with five national QR payment networks. In Singapore and Malaysia, travellers spent 2.7 times and two times more, respectively, via SGQR and DuitNow QR, generating tangible economic value for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

“In Malaysia, travellers have been able to use their home e-wallets or bank apps to make payments at more than 360,000 SMEs nationwide, allowing these businesses to benefit directly from tourism growth,” he said at the Ant International media briefing today.

Feagin said that in Southeast Asia, where Ant International has worked with local partners for more than a decade, SMEs have seen measurable business impact.

He added that Alipay+ continues to be a key driver of QR payment transactions in Malaysia via DuitNow, with tourism spending via DuitNow QR having doubled, benefiting more than 360,000 SMEs by enabling cross-border mobile payments from global travellers.

He noted that travellers are increasingly spending on local food, nature-based experiences, sports activities, as well as health, beauty and wellness services, further supporting local businesses and communities.

Feagin said that in the world’s fastest-growing emerging markets, the real-world, trusted and scalable adoption of AI and other new technologies can unlock entirely new growth opportunities for businesses of all sizes.

“It is time for fintech innovators to convert access into real growth momentum. We will work even harder to put AI-powered digital payments, financing, commerce and cross-border solutions on the ground for entrepreneurs and communities, with ever-lower costs and ever-stronger safety and security guardrails,” he said.

Combining localised expertise with adaptive AI tools, Feagin said the company’s full-suite payments platforms, 2C2P in Southeast Asia and MultiSafepay in Europe, now support a broad range of businesses, from regional airlines, online-to-offline (O2O) and e-commerce leaders to local SMEs.

Meanwhile, Ant International’s AI-powered SME application, EPOS360, integrates practical AI tools with point-of-sale (POS) systems, payments, banking, financing and growth operations for small businesses.

EPOS360 was announced in November 2025 and will launch in Singapore and Malaysia soon.

-- BERNAMA