Alipay, an online payment platform, has joined forces with Avalanche, a smart contract blockchain platform, to create a voucher program using Web3 technology. The collaboration was announced on March 20 and involves Alipay’s ordering solution, Alipay+ D-store, and its partnered e-wallets utilizing Avalanche for the voucher program. The initial rollout of the program took place in milk tea stores in Southeast Asia, where customers can acquire vouchers by playing a mini-game. Once the game is completed, customers can claim their vouchers in their e-wallets. These vouchers provide discounts of up to 50% at over 500 milk tea shops. The vouchers are powered by an Avalanche Subnet, built and managed by its blockchain service AvaCloud.
According to Avalanche, the aim of the vouchers is to allow brands like Alipay to explore the benefits of Web3 technology. By testing Web3 solutions, brands like Alipay+ D-store can assess how they can enhance merchant-user interactions, therefore increasing customer retention and generating new revenue streams. Avalanche stated that this program opens up opportunities for Alipay to collaborate with other brands utilizing blockchain-powered features and digital collectibles. It is important to note that the program is still in the proof-of-concept (POC) stage and has plans to expand to more than 2,000 stores, reaching 100 million users.
Avalanche has been actively developing its ecosystem and forming partnerships with well-known brands. On February 20, the blockchain platform collaborated with Sports Illustrated’s ticketing arm, SI Tickets. This partnership allowed Avalanche to host SI Ticket’s nonfungible token (NFT) ticketing platform, Box Office. As a result, NFT tickets on the platform will now be minted on the Avalanche network. Avalanche has also entered the gaming industry, with an announcement on March 11 that the popular online role-playing game, MapleStory, will expand into an Avalanche subnet. This expansion will provide users with opportunities for content-generation within the game.
By teaming up with Avalanche, Alipay is tapping into the potential of blockchain technology and Web3 solutions to enhance its voucher program. The collaboration not only benefits Alipay but also opens up avenues for further collaborations with other brands. Avalanche’s expansion into various sectors like ticketing and gaming highlights its commitment to growing its ecosystem and implementing blockchain solutions in diverse industries. As the voucher program progresses from the POC stage to a broader rollout, Alipay aims to reach a wider audience and provide valuable discounts to millions of users across Southeast Asia.
