Singtel's VIA alliance of regional mobile wallets to be accepted at Singapore Changi Airport

Thailand’s AIS GLOBAL Pay customers to enjoy convenience of cashless payments

Singapore, Chiang Rai, 5 April, 2019 – Visitors from Thailand will soon be able to shop at Singapore Changi Airport with their AIS GLOBAL Pay mobile wallet, Singtel and its regional associate AIS announced on the sidelines of the ASEAN Central Bank Governors’ Meeting in Chiang Rai, Thailand.

In the coming months, users of AIS GLOBAL Pay, which is part of Singtel’s VIA network, Asia’s first cross-border mobile payment alliance, will be able to make payments across all four Changi Airport terminals in their home currency, transact securely and conveniently, and enjoy competitive foreign exchange rates using the mobile wallet.

Mr Pratthana Leelapanang, Chief Consumer Business Officer, AIS, said, “Amidst a rapidly evolving cashless industry, greater merchant implementation of QR payment apps will help to facilitate our aim to drive cashless payments forward. We are happy that GLOBAL Pay customers visiting Singapore will soon be able to enjoy a seamless mobile payment experience at Changi Airport, in addition to over 50,000 other merchant points in the country.”

Mr Soon Sze Meng, Vice-President, Business of Singtel’s International Group, said, “With Singapore welcoming over half a million visitors from Thailand every year, we are excited to enhance the retail experience for them with the ease, familiarity and convenience of seamless transactions. Having the many merchants in Changi Airport on board VIA will enable Thai travellers to enjoy a wide range of cashless dining and retail options from the moment they touch down, while these merchants will capture new customers and revenue.”

VIA was launched by the Singtel Group in October 2018. It currently counts AIS GLOBAL Pay among its member mobile wallets and will include Thailand’s Kasikornbank’s K Plus and Axiata Digital’s Boost Malaysia later this year. Users of mobile wallets within the VIA alliance will soon also be able to make payments in Japan through a recently announced partnership with Tokyo-based NETSTARS, which offers 100,000 merchants in its network.

The Singtel Group plans to progressively expand the VIA alliance to include its other regional associates Airtel in India, Globe in the Philippines, Telkomsel in Indonesia as well as non-telco entities. For more information, visit viaconnects.com.