Alipay Enhances Accessible Payment Service in Support of Asian Para Games

HANGZHOU, China--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As part of Ant Group’s “Asian Para Games Support Initiative,” Alipay, the leading digital payment and lifestyle service platform, today announced it has further enhanced its accessible payment service to help visually impaired users make payments more easily on their mobile phones.

To further bridge the digital divide, empower different communities and better serve the 4^th Asian Para Games, Alipay has enhanced four accessible payment features to allow entering payment amount using voice input, audio playback of payment amount, voiceprint payment and payment verification by drawing a pattern. The features, which are available on the latest version of the Alipay app, were developed to help mitigate challenges faced by visually impaired users, such as difficulties with entering payment information and uncertainties around payment outcomes.

“We are committed to providing inclusive and accessible services to different communities. Following these enhancements, we will continue to optimize the mobile payment experience for visually impaired users and make their lives more convenient,” said Steven Jin, product lead of accessible payment at Alipay.

In addition to enhancing payment accessibility for the visually impaired, Ant Group, the Official Prestige Partner of the 4^th Asian Para Games, is also supporting a one-stop service platform for the Games and offering more care and volunteer services for the athletes as part of the initiative.

The “Smart Asian Para Games” mini program in the Alipay app serves as the one-stop service platform for the Hangzhou Asian Para Games, offering services such as ticketing, match schedules, competition results and travel route planning. It also supports screen reading for visually impaired users.

In the Asian Para Games Village, Ant Group has also set up a dedicated service area and experience zone for the athletes.

In addition to addressing payment related needs, athletes can also experiment with taking AI-powered photos with famous tourist attractions in Hangzhou as the background and try on different virtual outfits.

The experience zone also showcases “non-visual photography” produced by visually impaired Hangzhou residents. Trained volunteers from Ant Group will teach participants interested in learning more about non-visual photography.

About Alipay

In the digital era, Alipay has evolved from a trusted payment tool to an open platform that connects businesses, institutions, service providers, and other partners with consumers. Alipay enables partners from various industries to offer safe and convenient payment options. It also enables partners to communicate and deliver different digital services to their customers in China through Alipay mini programs, lifestyle accounts and other tools. The Alipay platform has connected over 80 million businesses with more than one billion consumers.