Alitrip (Alibaba) Introduces Credit-based Visa Application Service for Qualified Chinese Travelers. Luxembourg and Singapore Become First Two Travel Destinations to Use Sesame Scores as a Factor for Assessing PRC Visa Applicants
Alitrip (www.alitrip.com the online travel booking platform under Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA), announced recently its collaboration with the Consulate General of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in Shanghai to introduce in the near future a credit-based online visa application process for mainland Chinese residents traveling to Luxembourg. Leveraging the scoring system of Sesame Credit, a credit agency under Alibaba Group’s related company Ant Financial Services Group, the move aims to give eligible Chinese residents increased convenience to travel abroad by lowering their barrier to obtaining travel visas and expediting their visa application process.
Alitrip unveiled its credit-based online visa application service for the first time in late May, with Singapore being the first travel destination covered by this new initiative.
As a result of the collaboration announced today, users of Alitrip’s online visa application platform (www.alitrip.com/qianzheng/) traveling to Luxembourg will be given the opportunity to begin their Luxembourg visa application online, which will significantly reduce the amount of time involved compared with the traditional means of visa application. For applicants with a certain level of Sesame Scores, the Consulate General of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in Shanghai will accept their personal Sesame Credit reports as a proof of financial capabilities, substituting documents like bank records as proof of assets. All original documents will still need to be provided to the Consulate at a later stage as Schengen rules foresee.
Singapore, known as one of the top 10 outbound travel destinations among Chinese tourists, has recently become the first destination covered by Alitrip’s credit-based online visa application service. Individuals with a certain level of Sesame Scores traveling to Singapore can apply for their visa entirely online through the Alitrip online visa application platform, and be exempted from the need to submit their proof of residence and financial capabilities. Once the visa application has been accepted and paid for, an electronic visa will be directly emailed to the applicants. In 2014, Alitrip facilitated the issuing of 110,000 Singapore visas for its users.
Sesame Credit is a scoring system that generates individual credit scores for consumers by tapping into Alibaba Group and Ant Financial’s vast online ecosystem and other personal credit information sources. Sesame Scores, which range from 350 to 950 points, are calculated based on five factors – credit history, behavioral preference, fulfillment capability, personal attributes and social network – and are indications of the users’ creditworthiness.
Alitrip has been incorporating the use of Sesame Scores into its platform to help travel service providers assess their customers’ trustworthiness and offer more convenient services to eligible customers.
About Alitrip: Previously known as “Taobao Travel,” Alitrip (www.alitrip.com) was established as an independent online travel booking platform in October 2014. It currently has a large number of quality merchants on its platform providing Chinese consumers with a range of products and services including domestic and international flight tickets, hotel bookings, vacation packages and visa applications. Alitrip is dedicated to creating value for consumers by offering wide product selections, customized products, comprehensive after-sales protection and an innovative user experience. Alitrip is a business within Alibaba Group.
Source: Alitrip Press Release
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