Miles & More Accepts Wirecard's Mobile Payment Solution in Lufthansa WorldShop Stores

MUNICH, October 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

• Chinese tourists now can pay with mobile Alipay Barcode Payment in four Lufthansa WorldShop stores 
• Pilot phase started 1^st of October 

The Wirecard Group is to enable Miles & More GmbH to accept Alipay barcode payments in their Lufthansa WorldShop stores via the new 'Scan Alipay' iOS app. Alipay is China's most popular mobile payment solution. The pilot phase started on 1 October in four stores located in Munich and Frankfurt am Main airports in Germany - right in time for the start of the 'Golden Week', a holiday period during which millions of Chinese tourists head over to Europe to shop. Wirecard will provide Alipay acceptance and process the entire payment transaction within the framework of this partnership.

In the exclusive Lufthansa WorldShop Stores operated by Miles & More GmbH, high quality luggage and accessories, electronics and lifestyle products from many renowned brands are on offer. These are of great interest to Chinese tourists. In 2015 alone, affluent Chinese tourists spent USD 292bn on their trips abroad - more than any other country.

"We are looking forward to offer Chinese customers in cooperation with Wirecard the Alipay barcode payments in the Lufthansa WorldShop Stores. Now the shopping experience will be even easier and more convenient for these customers," says Roland Adrian, Managing Director of Miles & More GmbH. "We are certain that the new payment method will be well-received. The next step, which will follow at a later date, would be to integrate Alipay in our till system and continue its rollout further."

Dr. Markus Braun, CEO at Wirecard: "The number of Chinese tourists has risen massively. As surveys reveal, Germany is their preferred destination for European travel. Moreover, Chinese tourists like to splash the cash on holiday, meaning that they represent a significant source of income for retailers. We are therefore delighted to support the Lufthansa WorldShop Stores in offering mobile Alipay payments via the new Scan Alipay app. We are sure that many more joint ventures in this field are in the pipeline."

Its ease of use means that the app is attractive for all retailers: customers making a cashless payment via the Alipay app simply need to show the retailer the barcode on their smartphone display. All the retailer is required to do is enter the amount payable in the relevant currency into the Scan Alipay app on the mobile end device and then scan the QR code on the customer's smartphone. This is all that is necessary to complete the transaction. Payment processing is then handled by Wirecard Bank. Retailers can conveniently download the app from the App Store free of charge. Following a short, uncomplicated registration process, users can quickly begin making payments via the app. Wirecard's ConnectedPOS technology is used for direct Alipay till system integration. For more information, please visit: https://www.wirecard.com/alipay/

About Wirecard:  

Wirecard AG is a global technology group that supports companies in accepting electronic payments from all sales channels. As a leading independent supplier, the Wirecard Group offers outsourcing and white label solutions for electronic payments. A global platform bundles international payment acceptances and methods with supplementary fraud prevention solutions. With regard to issuing own payment instruments in the form of cards or mobile payment solutions, the Wirecard Group provides companies with an end-to-end infrastructure, including the requisite licences for card and account products. Wirecard AG is listed on the Frankfurt Securities Exchange (TecDAX, ISIN DE0007472060, WDI). For further information about Wirecard, please visit http://www.wirecard.com or follow us on twitter @wirecard.

Miles & More press contact: 

Miles & More press office

Tel.: +49 69 719168-159

Email: presse@miles-and-more.com

About Miles & More  

Miles & More is Europe's leading frequent flyer bonus programme. With more than 20 years' experience and in working with over 300 partner companies, Miles & More GmbH, which operates the programme from its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, have become experts in the field of successful customer retention.

Participants in the programme can collect Miles & More status miles from flights, but also from purchasing premium brands across all major retail sectors. These miles can be redeemed at partner companies operating in the shopping and lifestyle sector, telecommunications and electronics industry as well as at hotels and car rental companies, for example. Miles & More offers a foot in the door of an exclusive world with selected products and premium offers, including in the Lufthansa World Shop, highly sought-after air miles which can be redeemed against flight tickets and the Miles & More credit card as a secure payment method. Partner companies in the core markets of Germany, Austria and Switzerland especially benefit from access to a select target group and use Miles & More premium miles for the purposes of customer retention.

The frequent flyer bonus programme was launched on 1 January 1993 in Germany with a total of seven partners. Since September 2014, Miles & More GmbH has operated as an independent company and wholly owned subsidiary of Lufthansa AG. Further information can be found on http://www.miles-and-more.com and http://www.miles-and-more.com/presse

About Alipay:  

Launched in 2004, Alipay is the world's leading third-party payment platform. It currently has over 450 million active registered users and more than 200 financial institution partners. During the 2015 11.11 Global Shopping Festival, China's equivalent of Cyber Monday, Alipay processed RMB 91.3 billion worth of transactions from Alibaba's marketplaces. In addition to online payment functions such as online shopping payments, money transfer, and utility bill payments, Alipay is expanding to offline payments both inside and outside of China. Over 600,000 brick-and-mortar merchants and over one million taxis now accept Alipay as a payment method across China. As of December 2015, Alipay was accepted in more than 50,000 retail stores outside of China, and tax reimbursement via Alipay is supported in 24 countries and regions, including South Korea, Germany and France. More than half of the transactions processed by Alipay are conducted on mobile devices. Alipay has evolved from a digital wallet to a lifestyle enabler. Users can hail a taxi, book a hotel, or buy movie tickets directly from various modules within the app and purchase wealth management products such as Yu'e Bao.

Wirecard press contact:

Wirecard AG
Jana Tilz
Tel.: +49(0)-89-4424-1363
Email: jana.tilz@wirecard.com