Alipay launched a new AI Pay-powered payment service that enables OpenClaw-type AI agents to make purchases and complete payments based on user instructions. These autonomous AI tools, which execute tasks on a user’s behalf, have been nicknamed “lobsters” in China. The use of the new service requires no coding or complex setup, and includes multi-layer security safeguards for every transaction, making AI agents with Alipay more capable and effective.
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The launch builds on Alipay AI Pay, an AI-native payment solution introduced in 2025 that enables secure, seamless transactions through AI agents via voice command, eliminating the need to switch between pages. Alipay AI Pay surpassed 100 million users in February 2026, becoming the world’s first AI-native payment product to reach this milestone. During the week of February 5-11, 2026, it processed over 120 million transactions.
The new service extends Alipay AI Pay’s capabilities by enabling OpenClaw-type AI agents to make payments, with user authorization. After installing Alipay AI Pay from its official website (https://aipay.alipay.com/) into their AI agents, users can simply say “enable Alipay payment function” and complete identity verification. From that point, the agent can handle purchases in three steps: the user states a need (for example, “help me renew my membership”), confirms the order and authorizes payment via Alipay AI Pay. Orders can be modified or canceled at any point with a single command.
The new service is now pre-installed on Alibaba Cloud’s JVS Claw, and has been rolled out on DTClaw of Ant Group Digital Technologies. Alipay AI Pay is also available to other OpenClaw-type AI agents, including Claude Code and Hermes Agent via easy installation.
Security is built into every layer of the new service. Activation requires user initiation and identity verification, each payment requires user authorization and a 24/7 intelligent risk control system safeguards every transaction. Alipay also is extending its “Full Compensation” account protection program to the new service, ensuring worry-free payments for users.
As agentic commerce has grown in China, Alipay AI Pay has expanded across a range of use cases — from AI agents embedded in apps and mini programs for traditional retailers such as Luckin Coffee, to AI smart glasses such as Rokid’s, consumer-facing AI applications like Alibaba’s Qwen and now OpenClaw-type AI agents.
In addition to the consumer-facing AI payment service, Alipay has unveiled a number of developer-facing services to support AI commercialization more broadly, including Payment MCP Server (enabling developers to integrate payment services to AI agents using natural language), Payment Integration Skill (enabling vibe coding developers to integrate payment services to applications easily using natural language), AI Tipping (providing developers who need to receive tips within an AI agent with convenient payment capabilities), and AI subscription payment (enabling developers to receive payment from an AI agent based on service usage times or duration), each the first of its kind in China.
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