Alipay inks deal with UK card transaction platform

China's largest mobile wallet Alipay will become more accessible in the United Kingdom, following an agreement between the company and UK card transaction platform Barclaycard to promote the app's acceptance among local merchants.

The partnership enables potentially 110,000 British retailers to tap into the growing volume and buying power of Chinese visitors, who represent an increasingly important source of customers, the pair said in a joint statement on Thursday.

Merchants don't need to replace their existing point-of-sale system to include Alipay as a payment method. They are also likely to benefit from the more than 600 million Chinese Alipay users who search for store openings and check out discounts using the app.