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Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan’s national payment system HUMO and the global payment platform Alipay+, owned by Ant International, announced in Beijing the launch of a partnership aimed at facilitating inbound and outbound cross-border QR payments. The first Uzbek e-wallet to be integrated with Alipay+ will be Octobank’s Octomobile app. It is expected that by the end of the year, other HUMO-linked e-wallets and banking apps will also join the system. With this integration, HUMO has become the tenth national QR-code payment operator to join the Alipay+ partner ecosystem. In the initial stage, HUMO users from Uzbekistan will be able to make seamless payments in China and over 50 other countries, including Kazakhstan, Thailand, the UAE, the United States, and more, paying for purchases, dining, transport, and other services in Uzbek soums through familiar banking apps or payment methods. Currently, Alipay+ collaborates with 40 e-wallets and banking apps, as well as 10 national QR payment systems, linking over 100 million merchants and 1.8 billion user accounts worldwide. Thanks to this extensive network, Uzbek merchants will now be able to accept payments from users of Alipay+-connected e-wallets around the world, opening new international opportunities and supporting business growth. In China, Ant International is the largest operator of inbound payments in terms of coverage, number of use cases, and transaction volume. Its payment ecosystem supports seven international card brands and 31 e-wallets from 12 countries and regions. Notably, the largest Kazakh wallet, Kaspi, is already accepted in China, and now HUMO joins the system, strengthening payment connectivity in Central Asia. Alipay+ was originally developed to simplify cross-border payments. Today, through partnerships with global payment operators and the application of artificial intelligence in payments, marketing, and digitalization, the company promotes international tourism, enhances transaction security, and supports inclusive economic growth. Amid increasing digitalization in travel, Alipay+ introduced Alipay+ Voyager, a virtual AI travel assistant integrated into e-wallets, helping users plan trips and receive personalized offers from partners. Additionally, under the “Digital Wallet Guardian Partnership” initiative, Alipay+ is strengthening security measures for all partner wallets. The new EasySafePay 360 system, based on AI and privacy-preserving computation technologies, reduces the risk of account breaches by up to 90% while maintaining a high level of data privacy. Pilot participants in the program include AlipayHK and TNG eWallet. Maqsad Mukhitdinov, First Deputy Chairman of HUMO, said, “We are pleased to partner with Alipay+ by Ant International. This agreement opens new opportunities for seamless international travel for Uzbek users and creates real prospects for business growth. HUMO, as a key element of the national payment infrastructure, unites 35 banks and 42 non-bank financial institutions. We look forward to further developing our cooperation with Alipay+.” Edward Yue, CEO of Alipay+ for Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and South Asia, stated, “We are excited to work with HUMO to expand Alipay+ presence in Central Asia, reaching over 45 million digital wallet users. This partnership will enhance the travel experience of Uzbek tourists, provide convenient payments and attractive offers, and help Uzbek merchants accept international customers, boosting the country’s tourism economy.”
