Alipay's 'Tap' Feature Gets AI Upgrade, Building 30M+ Touchpoint Offline AI Network

Alipay has rolled out an AI upgrade for its flagship 'Tap' (碰一下) NFC feature, building an AI-powered offline business network that spans more than 30 million touchpoints. The upgrade embeds AI capabilities into everyday tap interactions between consumers and merchants.

The 'Tap' feature, based on NFC technology, allows users to pay, order, and collect coupons by tapping their phones against merchant terminals. The AI upgrade now extends these interactions into smart business tools, giving merchants access to AI-powered analytics, customer profiling, and intelligent marketing recommendations.

A network of 30 million touchpoints represents significant coverage density across China's offline commerce landscape. Each tap interaction becomes a potential data point and AI service trigger, turning a simple payment gesture into an AI engagement opportunity.

From a business perspective, Alipay is transforming payment terminals from transaction endpoints into AI service gateways. Merchants are increasingly viewing their terminals not just as cash registers but as windows into AI-driven business insights, potentially reshaping how offline commerce operates digitally.

For consumers, the AI upgrade promises more personalized experiences — tailored recommendations, targeted promotions, and streamlined service interactions — though it also raises data privacy considerations.

The AI-powered expansion of Alipay's Tap network is a key component of Ant Group's broader 'AI + payments' strategy, positioning the payment tool as an evolving intelligent business platform for the offline economy.