Google Play, Ant International’s Antom and KASIKORNBANK announced last Friday the launch of K PLUS as a new local payment method on Google Play, marking the first time that a Southeast Asia (SEA) mobile banking app is made available as a payment option in the platform.
The trio said in a statement that the rollout also marks the first time that Antom, the unified merchant payment service under Ant International, enables recurring payment capabilities on a banking app to support global enterprise merchants, building on its experience with digital wallets.
Google Play gives users one place to find, enjoy and share their favorite apps, games, books and more, for any Android device.
Meanwhile, K PLUS, operated by KASIKORNBANK, is one of SEA’s most widely used mobile banking apps.
Its 14 million users on Android devices will be able to pay for global and local digital content on Google Play using their everyday banking app.
Antom has been a strategic partner to Google Play in expanding payment options in Asia Pacific (APAC), and continues driving growth in both transaction volumes and
user acquisitions.
With the K PLUS launch, Antom further strengthens its collaboration with Google Play, by adding digital wallets that serve millions of users in the region.
Leveraging its artificial intelligence (AI)-driven solutions for payment orchestration, risk management and digital marketing, Antom supports merchants to integrate over 300 payment methods across over 100 currencies in its extensive global acquiring network.
The Asia Pacific region leads the world in digital payment adoption, accounting for nearly two-thirds of global digital wallet spend in 2024, according to a Deloitte report.
In response to this growth, Antom has helped Google Play enable a growing list of leading payment options including DANA, GCash and Touch ‘n Go eWallet since 2022.
Google Play and Antom will continue to work together to increase local payment coverage and enhance payment experiences.
Beyond payments, Antom also supports Google Play in launching digital campaigns through its A+ Rewards, an in-App digital marketing platform powered by privacy-preserving computing and AI technologies.
Embedded within leading e-wallets across Asia, A+Rewards connects Google Play with hundreds of millions of e-wallet users.
Over 2023 and 2024, consumers claimed over 20 million Google Play vouchers from A+Rewards on regional e-wallets.
“Google Play is committed to continuously providing the best experience for users and supporting the growth of the digital ecosystem for developers,
“We’re excited to announce that Google Play now supports K PLUS as a new payment option in Thailand,” said Zulfi Rahardian, Head of Google Play Retail & Payments Activation, Southeast Asia.
“With this launch, we hope Thai consumers can purchase games, apps, entertainment and digital content more easily through safe, fast, and seamless transactions,” he added.
Meanwhile, Dr. Ketchayong Skowratananont, Executive Vice President of KASIKORNBANK, said that at KASIKORNBANK, they are committed to continuously enhancing their digital payment infrastructure to offer their customers a seamless, fast, and secure financial experience.
According to him, this collaboration with Google Play and Antom expands payment choices for Google Play users in Thailand, allowing them to pay directly for apps and digital content by linking their account with K PLUS.
“We are proud to be the first bank in Thailand and SEA to enable mobile banking payments on Google Play，
”Today, we have around 14 million K PLUS users on Android, and our goal is to have more than 1 million linked accounts by the end of 2025,” he added.
Gary Liu, General Manager of Antom, Ant International, said that payment localization is not just about convenience, it is about building the infrastructure for digital inclusion.
“We’re excited to expand our collaboration with Google Play by introducing K PLUS as a new payment option,
“With AI-powered solutions, we aim to make digital payments easier and more secure while helping merchants scale more efficiently,” he added.
This collaboration forms a pillar of the broader strategic partnership between Google and Ant International, said the statement.