Following the launch, the solution will be extended to countries outside of Europe, creating a bridge for European travellers who will be able to pay at any global merchant of Alipay+. Bluecode, a European open QR code payment scheme, is the first interoperable payment network partner in Europe for Alipay+, a suite of cross-border mobile payment and digitalization technology solutions operated by Ant International. Issuers can integrate Bluecode into their apps and core banking systems, enabling customers to conveniently pay with QR codes directly from their checking accounts. At launch, Bluecode app users will be able to make transactions through participating banks. In the near future, the partnership solution will be also incorporated within more than 300 banks based in Germany and Austria, which have adopted Bluecode QR code payment technology, to enable users to make direct payments from their banking apps to merchants that accept Alipay+. Introduced by Ant International in 2020, Alipay+ now connects over 88 million merchants in 57 countries and regions to 1.5 billion consumer accounts on over 25 e-wallets and bank apps, allowing consumers to travel and pay hassle-free globally, and merchants to build out cross-border consumer engagement and digital marketing. Customers and merchants will first benefit from mobile payment interoperability in advance of UEFA EURO 2024 held in Germany this summer. Alipay+ is the Official Payment Partner of the tournament, enabling international football fans to access convenient payment options when they attend tournament matches and travel the country. Christian Pirkner, Bluecode CEO says: “We at Bluecode are firm believers in the importance of mobile payment innovation without boundaries for Europe. Bluecode scheme rules enable Europeans at participating banks to transact directly from their checking accounts. The novelty of our interoperability solution is to offer a European payment scheme accepted globally, leaving full control of the payment experience with the issuing bank and the merchant. Any European bank can sign up as Bluecode issuer and upgrade the banking app to keep the customer journey within their own digital offerings. This interoperability partnership with Alipay+ now allows Bluecode payments at millions of merchants first in Europe and subsequently all around the world. Through this interoperability concept we aim to replicate the roaming model of the mobile telecommunication industry: Bluecode users will pay at Alipay+ merchants across the world in the same way as they are paying here at home. As with mobile SIM card roaming, there is a legal, commercial and technical framework to enable payment interoperability. Transactions are processed seamlessly across the payment solution, not requiring any changes to the integration for our member banks or on the merchant side.” Pietro Candela, General Manager of Europe at Alipay+, adds: “This partnership enables Alipay+ merchants all over the world to accept payments from European travellers, who will find more convenience and benefits. Alipay+ merchants will benefit from the partnership to connect and engage with more European customers, before, during and after their travels, enabled by an eco-system of local financial apps. UEFA EURO 2024 is the perfect time to kick off this new mobile customer engagement, taking advantage of the universal language of football to create enthusiasm and fun among global communities.” Danny Chung, General Manager of Alipay+ Korea, Europe, Middle East, and Mongolia, Ant International adds: “We’re delighted to grow our Alipay+ payment eco-system in Europe following our interoperable mobile payment partnership with Bluecode, the first of its kind for Alipay+ in Europe. We look forward to engaging with football fans visiting Germany for UEFA EURO 2024 and all the tourists coming to Europe in this summer and onwards when making payments with their Alipay+ supported partner wallets. With a hassle-free payment experience with their home e-wallets, they will feel at home when travel abroad."