Leading digital payment platforms for e-commerce Asia 2021, by country

According to a survey among cross-border e-commerce enterprises in 2021, PayPal was the leading digital payment platform in the Philippines, with 74 percent of the enterprises using it. WorldFirst had the largest market share in China, at 43 percent in 2021.

E-commerce payment methods

E-commerce payments amount to over half of all digital payments in Asia. International digital payment services are a vital part of cross-border e-commerce. Digital or mobile wallet is the most popular e-commerce payment method in the Asia-Pacific region and is projected to keep expanding.

Popular digital payment platforms

With over 400 million active user accounts worldwide, PayPal is a leading digital payments service provider for cross-border e-commerce enterprises in all big six Southeast Asian countries. Interestingly, when there is a smaller presence of PayPal, there is a larger one of WorldFirst. Since the UK-founded international payments giant, WorldFirst, was bought by Ant Group, it has gained a significant market share in Asia, specifically in Japan, South Korea, and China.

Along with PayPal, Payoneer is another U.S.-based digital payment platform gaining popularity in Asia. Besides the international platforms, the leading home-grown digital payment platforms that are prominent in the Asia-Pacific scene include Alipay, the leading digital payments app for consumers in China, LianLian Global, and Airwallex.