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TerraPay and Alipay+, Ant International’s unified digital wallet gateway, have formed a strategic partnership to enable cross-border wallet QR payments across Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.

15 African wallets gain access to 150 million merchants

In the first phase, 15 African digital wallets connected to TerraPay’s Xend wallet interoperability network will be able to make payments at more than 150 million merchants across the Alipay+ global merchant network. It also expands TerraPay’s cross-border capabilities from account-to-account transfers to direct in-store payments worldwide.

The partnership addresses challenges faced by wallet users abroad, who may otherwise rely on cash, exchange offices or costlier foreign payment methods.

Through Xend, connected wallet providers can let customers pay across the Alipay+ network by scanning a QR code with their existing wallet, without switching apps or payment methods.

Ambar Sur, founder and CEO of TerraPay, said a local wallet used by customers in Kenya, Colombia or elsewhere should work in the same way when they travel to Singapore, China or any other destination. He said this is Xend’s core idea and that the partnership is a step toward making cross-border wallet payments a natural extension of domestic payments.

Alipay+ connects more than 150 million merchants

The partnership comes as digital wallets become a primary payment method and users expect trusted financial apps to work seamlessly across borders. Providers have built broad domestic ecosystems, but cross-border use remains limited.

Xend addresses that gap by connecting wallet providers to Alipay+’s global ecosystem through a single integration, allowing customers to spend internationally without changing applications or carrying additional payment cards. Alipay+ connects more than 50 international payment partners with over 150 million merchants across 220 markets, including more than 10 national payment systems.

Edward Yue, general manager of Alipay+ Global Power Center at Ant International, said the connection expands cross-border links between people and businesses and opens new growth channels for global trade.

Xend reaches 3.7 billion digital wallets

TerraPay provides a unified cross-border payments network operating across regulated markets. It supports payments through wallets, bank accounts and cards, and says it connects more than 7.5 billion bank accounts in over 156 countries.

TerraPay launched Xend as a digital wallet interoperability network designed to enable secure, instant cross-border payments through a unified connection. The network currently reaches 3.7 billion digital wallets. TerraPay is headquartered in London, with offices in Dubai, Miami, Milan, Singapore, Bogota, Johannesburg, Kampala and Bangalore.