Alipay+, Meizu: Are Smart Glasses the Future of Payments?
Ant International's Alipay+ has completed what it claims is the first e-wallet payment transaction conducted through smart glasses, working with Chinese technology company Meizu to process the payment in Hong Kong using the AlipayHK platform.
The transaction was conducted on Meizu's StarV Snap smart glasses, with users able to scan QR codes and authorise payments without accessing their mobile devices.
Behind the scenes, Alipay+ has integrated artificial intelligence-powered voice interface, intent recognition, and voiceprint authentication technologies to support the payment process.
The successful transaction represents more than a technological novelty. Payment processors have been searching for ways to capture commerce as it moves beyond traditional touchpoints, recognising that the next generation of consumers may expect to transact seamlessly across any connected device they wear or carry.
For Alipay+, which already connects 1.7 billion user accounts across 36 e-wallets to 100 million merchants in more than 70 markets, smart glasses offer another channel as hardware evolves.
The platform has introduced other innovations, including near-field communication integration that combines QR and card payments, plus AI features built on its GenAI Cockpit platform for financial technology companies.
"We are grateful to work with industry leaders like Meizu to pioneer smart glasses-embedded payment solutions," says Jiangming Yang, Chief Innovation Officer of Ant International.
"By unlocking payment capabilities, smart glasses will rapidly transform into the next-gen personal device like the mobile phone."
Hardware meets financial infrastructure
Meizu's decision to embed payment capabilities directly into its smart glasses reflects the company's broader strategy of creating an integrated ecosystem spanning smartphones, augmented reality devices and automotive technology.
The glasses utilise the company's optical waveguide displays and advanced voice processing to create what executives describe as a natural payment experience.
The partnership materialised in April when Meizu announced it would integrate Alipay+'s software development kit across its entire smart glasses range.
This combines Meizu's optical waveguide display technology, voice noise reduction systems and camera-based code scanning technology with Alipay+'s payment authentication systems.
Alipay+ plans to extend this capability to other partner e-wallets throughout 2025, though rollout will depend on each platform integrating the updated technology suite.
"The innovation in the payment scenario has enhanced the practicality and appeal of smart glasses and also promoted the progress and development of the AR glasses industry"
Expanding payment channels
Meizu operates across multiple technology verticals through its FlymeAIOS platform, spanning smartphones, smart glasses and automotive technology. The company positions itself as creating interconnected experiences between these devices.
The Hong Kong pilot uses Alipay+'s existing presence in the territory, where AlipayHK operates under local licensing requirements.
"The offline payment function of smart glasses launched overseas by Meizu and Alipay+ has set a new technological benchmark for the industry," says Peng Guo, General Manager of the XR Division of Meizu.
"The innovation in the payment scenario has enhanced the practicality and appeal of smart glasses and also promoted the progress and development of the AR glasses industry."
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