Alipay and S&P Report on AI Commerce

A new report by Alipay+, in partnership with S&P Global, reveals a growing gap in digital commerce, with people increasingly expecting seamless mobile payments and intelligent digital assistance. The study, which surveyed 6,000 consumers across nine markets in Asia, Europe and the US, points to a major shift underway in global commerce — one where e-wallets, artificial intelligence and interoperable digital ecosystems are becoming foundational to how consumers discover, transact and engage across borders.

Travel exposes gaps in global commerce infrastructure, with more than half of consumers citing uncertainty around merchant acceptance or lack of access to preferred payment methods, leading one in four to still carry cash as a fallback. The shift to hyper-local, high-frequency spending highlights the need for localised payment acceptance, with food and beverage and local attractions seeing the largest increase in traveller spending.

Consumer Expectations

Consumers want payment apps to do more, with restaurant reservations, all-in-one booking, and attraction access emerging as the most in-demand in-app services globally. Artificial intelligence adoption is stronger for exploration than action, with 81% of consumers already using artificial intelligence tools for travel discovery and planning, but becoming more selective as artificial intelligence moves closer to bookings, refunds and payments.

Trust is critical to commerce, with global privacy concerns remaining high at 43%, reinforcing the need for trusted platforms within consumers’ daily behaviours. “The world has already become mobile-first and borderless, and the challenge now is whether commerce infrastructure can evolve quickly enough to keep pace with consumer expectations,” said Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International.

Interoperability and Cross-Border Commerce

Consumers are moving fluidly between e-wallets, cards, QR codes and NFC-based payment ecosystems across borders, yet the travel journey remains fragmented across local payment environments, creating growing friction between rising consumer expectations and existing commerce infrastructure. Mobile payments are now the preferred method for everyday, in-destination spending, while cards continue to dominate pre-trip bookings.

Respondents who do not use digital payments express a clear intent to adopt them, saying they are either “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to use these methods on future trips. However, concerns around transaction security, exchange rates and fees, unfamiliar payment terminal steps, and merchant acceptance remain high when using mobile payments abroad.

Integrated Wallet Ecosystems

Travel is accelerating the shift from payment apps into global-native wallet ecosystems, as consumers gravitate towards integrated platforms that combine discovery, booking, payments, rewards, and in-destination services within a single experience. Rewards and cashback, better foreign exchange rates, and expense tracking rank among the strongest drivers of wallet usage globally.

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Demand for integrated in-app travel services is also accelerating, with consumers expressing strong interest in restaurant reservations and payments, all-in-one travel booking, attraction tickets and passes, and local transportation booking. Expectations, however, vary across markets, with consumers from China, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore showing stronger demand for integrated experiences within a single app.

Artificial Intelligence Adoption and Trust

Artificial intelligence adoption is accelerating rapidly, with 81.3% of consumers already using artificial intelligence-powered tools to explore destinations and experiences. However, adoption becomes more selective as artificial intelligence moves from exploration to action, with only 26% of consumers stating interest in using artificial intelligence for payments and autonomous decision-making. Two in five consumers hesitate to use artificial intelligence assistants because they prefer planning travel themselves, and privacy concerns remain high globally at 43%.

“The opportunity lies in embedding artificial intelligence securely within trusted ecosystems, allowing consumers to act on intent more seamlessly while retaining trust and user control across the commerce journey,” added Feagin.

It is clear that consumer expectations are driving the evolution of commerce infrastructure. They expect seamless mobile payments, intelligent digital assistance, and integrated wallet ecosystems. The challenge now is whether commerce infrastructure can evolve quickly enough to keep pace with consumer expectations.

The report by Alipay+ and S&P Global provides valuable insights into the growing gap in digital commerce and the evolving expectations of consumers. It highlights the need for trusted platforms, integrated wallet ecosystems, and artificial intelligence-powered solutions to support the shift to hyper-local, high-frequency spending.

As the commerce environment continues to evolve, it is essential for companies to stay ahead of the curve and address the growing friction between rising consumer expectations and existing commerce infrastructure. By doing so, they can build trust with consumers and provide them with seamless and intelligent digital experiences.

The opportunity for companies is significant. They can help build the next era of artificial intelligence commerce and provide consumers with integrated and seamless digital experiences. The future of commerce is exciting and full of possibilities.