Alipay forays into Europe via payment deal with Ingenico

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.