Tinaba with Banca Profilo has initiated digital payment services in the Chinese mainland, extending its strategic partnership with Alipay+, Ant International’s global wallet gateway solution. This collaboration aims to provide Italian travelers with a streamlined, cashless, and localized payment experience in China.
Starting immediately, users of the Tinaba App can process payments at over 80 million merchants across the Chinese mainland by scanning a QR code. This functionality operates within the Tinaba App via the “Pay Worldwide with Alipay+” feature, allowing transactions in euros with transparent exchange rates, eliminating the necessity for local applications or bank accounts. The service is fully integrated into the app, available in Italian, designed to facilitate a smooth user experience in a market where digital payments are prevalent and cash usage is minimal.
Matteo Arpe, President of Tinaba with Banca Profilo, commented on the development, stating that the entry into the Chinese mainland is a significant strategic milestone. He highlighted the Chinese mainland as a leading hub for digital payment innovation, noting that offering integrated access to this ecosystem strengthens Tinaba’s international position as an open and innovative financial platform focused on global mobility. Arpe described it as a tangible progression towards an increasingly digital and international banking service.
Pietro Candela, General Manager of EMEA at Alipay+, stated that Alipay+ and Tinaba share a vision for making daily payments simpler, safer, and more convenient through existing banking applications. He explained that enabling Tinaba users to pay in the Chinese mainland directly from their Italian app extends a familiar wallet experience into one of the world’s advanced cashless markets. Candela added that Italian travelers can engage in local shopping and dining at millions of merchants with efficient exchange rates, with additional benefits expected soon. He also noted the rapid growth in travel between Italy and the Chinese mainland, partly due to visa-free entry for Italian visitors, positioning this expanded collaboration as an example of how European financial institutions can contribute to payment digitization and globalization.
The launch occurs amidst increasing adoption of digital wallets for international payments. In 2025, Tinaba with Banca Profilo reported a 133% increase in transaction volume via Alipay+, indicating a growing preference among European users for digital wallets during international travel. The Tinaba App is also slated to integrate Alipay+ Voyager, an AI-powered travel companion, in the coming months. This feature will support users with itinerary planning, personalized suggestions, and access to services such as transportation, hotel, and attraction bookings, alongside contextual destination information.
This phase of the partnership between Tinaba, which integrates neo-banking services with traditional banks like Banca Profilo, and Alipay+, Ant International’s global cross-border payment and digitization gateway, reinforces their shared commitment to developing digital solutions for international travelers. Their collaboration began in 2018, leading to Tinaba becoming the first Italian fintech in 2023 to enable instant online and offline payments in euros and in Italian through Alipay+’s partner merchants. Alipay+ currently connects 1.8 billion user accounts from over 40 mobile payment partners to more than 150 million merchants across over 100 markets.
