SINGAPORE - Singapore's largest retailer FairPrice Group (FPG) and Ant International have expanded Alipay+ payment acceptance to more outlets and launched a new convenience store mini app on Alipay targeting Chinese tourists.

More than 500 FPG outlets, including supermarkets, convenience stores, pharmacies and food courts, now accept cross-border mobile payments from 18 Alipay+ international partners, the companies said in a joint statement on Friday.

Alipay+, the global wallet network operated by Ant International, links 18 international e-wallets and banking apps to merchants in Singapore.

The new mini app, called Cheers, is named after the FPG's convenience store chain and is designed to help Chinese visitors locate and shop at over 180 Cheers outlets across the island.

Alipay's presence in Singapore, and its position as a platform familiar and trusted by Chinese consumers, allows Cheers to seamlessly offer discovery, transactions and rewards to tourists, said FPG's Group CEO Vipul Chawla.

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AI-powered digital tools of Alipay+ will help partners engage consumers in "richer, more imaginative and safer ways", said Peng Yang, CEO of Ant International.

The FPG has also trained staff at 30 Cheers outlets in basic Mandarin to better serve Chinese customers, said the statement.