Taobao, Tmall embrace WeChat Pay

E-marketplaces, e-payment tools ready for collaboration and interoperability

Chinese tech heavyweight Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's online marketplaces Taobao and Tmall announced on Thursday that they will accept mobile payment options from Tencent's WeChat Pay gradually from Sept 12, a significant step in breaking down payment barriers between the two internet companies, enhancing interoperability and interconnectivity of different platforms and improving user experience, experts said.

They added the move is conducive to elevating payment convenience, invigorating the vitality of consumption, and bolstering the innovation and development of payment modalities.

Taobao and Tmall said in a statement on Wednesday that they had issued notices on their platforms to solicit feedback from merchants about accepting WeChat Pay as an additional payment method, as part of a broader push to improve the shopping experience.