Behind the ¥5,660 Token Subsidy: Alipay Bets on an AI Payment 'Cold Start' Scenario

Last week at a Hema Fresh store in Hangzhou, I noticed a test unit for an "AI shopping cart" installed in the self-checkout area—cameras identify products and automatically calculate prices, with no barcode scanning needed throughout the process. The nearby store manager said the tech team is still tuning it, but the biggest bottleneck isn't recognition accuracy, but rather "once users get used to this frictionless payment flow, how do subsequent membership marketing and coupon distribution naturally integrate via AI?" This detail sparked my interest in Alipay's recently released "AI Payment Developer Incentive Program."