Alibaba’s launch of bargain marketplace Taobao Deals on Tencent’s super app WeChat hits a snag, source says

Alibaba’s plan to launch Taobao Deals mini-program on WeChat makes little progress weeks after application. The e-commerce collaboration would have enabled Taobao Deals to accept transactions that use online payment service WeChat Pay. — SCMP

Plans by Alibaba Group Holding to launch bargain online shopping platform Taobao Deals as a mini-program on Tencent Holdings’ ubiquitous super app WeChat, have apparently hit a snag, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Tencent, which runs the world’s largest video games business by revenue and China’s biggest social network, has suspended testing Taobao Deals on WeChat, as there is little substantial progress at the current stage, according to an Alibaba executive who declined to be named. Alibaba, which owns the South China Morning Post, had confirmed four weeks ago that it filed an application to Tencent to open a mini-program on WeChat.