Alipay tool set to target overseas retailers

Alipay, the online payment affiliate of Alibaba Group Holdings Ltd, is launching a new tool that will help US and European retailers sell products directly to Chinese consumers.

The service named ePass, which can be integrated into Western retailers' websites as an alternative payment solution like eBay Inc's PayPal, is expected to help overseas merchants tap into China's rapidly growing online shopping community without actually expanding their presence in the Chinese market.

Through ePass, US and European merchants would be able to give Chinese consumers who are comfortable with shopping online in English a way to purchase goods directly from retailers' existing, stand-alone e-commerce websites in their home markets, said Li Jingming, president and chief architect of Alipay US.