Most people who have travelled abroad have probably struggled to get to grips with the local currency. But in China, where mobile payment services have become almost ubiquitous, overseas tourists are increasingly finding it tough to pay with paper currency at all.

But Ant Financial might have come up with a solution. The Alibaba-affiliated fintech group has rolled out an international version of Alipay, allowing tourists to connect overseas bank cards to the popular mobile payment service for both online and offline transactions.

To access the service, users must download the Alipay app, register their overseas phone numbers, and obtain a prepaid card service through a mini program, the company said in a Tuesday statement. They can then scan QR codes on their phones and make other kinds of online payments.

The prepaid card is valid for 90 days, and the remaining money will be refunded automatically when the card expires, the statement said.

Contact reporter Ding Yi (yiding@caixin.com)