(Yicai Global) Nov. 5 -- Ant Financial has released an international version of its popular mobile payments app so visitors to China can for the first time enjoy the ease of paying with their mobile phones for shopping, meals, transport and entertainment on the mainland.

Starting immediately, short-stay visitors can download Alipay for both iOS and Android devices and register for the international version with their overseas mobile numbers, Hangzhou-based Ant Financial Services Group said in a statement today.

The new version gives access to the Tour Pass mini program, allowing visitors to use Bank of Shanghai's prepaid cards to fund payments. Visitors can load money onto these cards using their overseas debit or credit cards.

The minimum top-up amount is CNY100 (USD14.25) to a maximum balance of CNY2,000 (USD286). The cards are valid for 90 days, after which time the remaining balance is automatically refunded.

Alipay, together with its local e-wallet partners in Asia, already serves more than 1.2 billion users with its widely used QR code payment services.

Editor: Ben Armour