Long Island's Stony Brook Community is First in the United States to Accept Alipay and WeChat Pay

LONG ISLAND, N.Y., Nov. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Stony Brook Hamlet is located in New York, on the North Shore of Long Island, just 60 miles from Manhattan.  Stony Brook Village Center, created in 1941, is considered the first planned business community in the United States, and will make its mark on December 1 as the first community in the country to accept China's leading mobile payment platforms.  Alipay and WeChat Pay account for 90% of the Chinese mobile payment market share with over 1 billion active users.

The majority of establishments in this quaint, historic village, as well as its environs, have partnered with CITCON, a cross-border mobile payment leader to accept Alipay and WeChat via CITCON's smart mobile point-of-sale (mPOS), easy-to-integrate API and software products to provide the most preferred payment options for Chinese consumers. "We are thrilled to partner with Stony Brook Village and make it the first community in the U.S. to accept Alipay and WeChat Pay." said Chuck Huang, Founder and CEO of CITCON, "Mobile payment is the future of commerce, and by accepting the most preferred payment options for Chinese travelers makes it easy for businesses to provide a delightful experience and engage with millions of Chinese consumers."

Alipay, the world's largest mobile and online payment platform, provides in-store payment service in more than 30 countries across the world; and WeChat Pay, a fully integrated payment solution within WeChat, the world's most popular mobile social communications service with 980 million active users envisions and innovates new ways for people to connect, communicate and share. CITCON's payment solutions enable cross-border payments for Chinese consumers to purchase goods and services overseas in Chinese Yuan and for merchants to be settled in local currencies.  Adding these payment options allows merchants to gain the opportunity to better service the Chinese traveler, and tap into an even larger revenue stream from one billion Chinese consumers who are the largest spenders, and the fastest growing traveler segment to North America.

China is the largest market for U.S. travel and tourism goods and services and astronomical growth is anticipated in the next few years.  Six million Chinese tourists are expected to visit the U.S. by the year 2020.

Discover Long Island's President and CEO, Kristen Jarnagin says, "Chinese travelers are changing the scope of the international tourism market and Long Island is not only excited to welcome them but prepared to provide them with an experience steeped in convenience and ease that they are accustomed to.  This new advancement, combined with our destination's diverse assets and proximity to New York City, gives Long Island an unmatched competitive edge in luring the lucrative Chinese visitor."

WMHO has spearheaded this effort with ALON Marketing Group to bring together 30 organizations including restaurants, hotels, retail services, attractions and transportation to offer these services.  In addition, through the purchase of a Stony Brook Village Center Gift Certificate at WMHO's Educational & Cultural Center or their Management Office, 111 Main Street in Stony Brook, Asian customers can also make purchases at:  Staller Center for the Arts at Stony Brook University, Chico's, LOFT, Crabtree & Evelyn, Brew Cheese, Wish, Roseland School of Dance, MensRoom Barber, Village Coffee Market, Lake Side Emotions Wine Boutique and WMHO Heritage Gift Shop. This will accommodate Asian Long Island residents and Stony Brook University faculty and students. The Asian population, as it stands today, is 16% in a one mile radius of the Stony Brook Village Center.  Gloria Rocchio, President of The Ward Melville Heritage Organization says, "Stony Brook is an international community.  Partnering with Ali Pay and WeChat Pay provides the Asian resident and visitor with a familiar way of payment and makes the area Asian-friendly."

Photo Credit:  WMHO

About THE WARD MELVILLE HERITAGE ORGANIZATION
The Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO), founded in 1939, is a privately funded not-for-profit corporation.  The Stony Brook Village Center, known to be the first planned business community created in the United States, is located at Main Street on Stony Brook Harbor.  WMHO and the Stony Brook Village Center is the creation of philanthropist Ward Melville. Its many unique features include a sweeping village green and crescent shaped design. In its early years the American Institute of Architects hosted an annual conference in Stony Brook to study his creation.  The mechanical eagle on the Post Office pediment flaps its wings every hour on the hour from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM daily as it has done for over 75 years welcoming thousands of visitors to its specialty shops, restaurants, attractions and hotels.  Ward Melville donated the land that Stony Brook University stands on today. WMHO owns and maintains numerous historic structures and environmentally sensitive areas in Stony Brook, New York.  Thousands visit each year to participate in community arts and cultural enrichment events offered by WMHO such as outdoor festivals, wetlands cruises, musical theatre performances, Chinese New Year celebrations and Customer Appreciation Day festivities.  WMHO also owns and oversees various historic properties in Stony Brook, Setauket and Head of the Harbor, New York that are on the New York State and National Register of Historic Places.  They are available by appoint for tours and special programs.  Visit www.stonybrookvillage.com.

SOURCE Discover Long Island