Uber, Alipay allow tourists abroad to pay fares in Chinese yuan

A file illustration picture shows the logo of car-sharing service app Uber on a smartphone next to the picture of an official German taxi sign in Frankfurt, September 15, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

BEIJING - Chinese tourists will be able to pay for Uber rides in Chinese yuan through Alibaba's mobile payment services when travelling outside China, Uber said on Tuesday.

Uber and Alipay teamed up earlier this year to offer yuan payment options for Uber rides in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. The option has been expanded to more than 400 cities in 68 countries and regions in which Uber operates.

China has emerged as the world's biggest source of outbound travellers. This has prompted Chinese bank card association China UnionPay and mobile payment services such as Alibaba's Alipay to work with retailers and merchants in popular destinations to offer the option of paying their bills in Chinese yuan, rather than in the foreign currency.

Uber also wants to tap China's travel boom by encouraging Chinese tourists to book rides using its service in foreign countries.

Previously, Chinese riders had to pay Uber fares in US dollars.

Uber rival Didi said last month that it has allowed Chinese tourists using its mobile app to access ride-hailing services through its partner Lyft in the United States, with bills payable through mobile payment services from China's Alibaba and Tencent.