June 18, 2025 – Rokid, a Chinese provider of augmented reality (AR) technology, has announced the rollout of in-store payment functionality for its AR glasses, in partnership with Alipay. The integration allows users in China to complete purchases via voice and gesture using the company’s Rokid Glasses smart glasses, eliminating the need to handle a phone.
The payment system is underpinned by Alipay’s digital payment infrastructure and multidimensional risk control solution, which has been customized for AR use. According to Rokid, more than 250,000 units of its Rokid Glasses have already been ordered, with distribution beginning in June.
How it works:
- Users link their Alipay account via the Rokid app and enable voice verification.
- At checkout, they provide the voice command “Rokid, pay 10 RMB.”
- The glasses then scan the merchant’s Alipay QR code.
- Payment details appear on the display, and users confirm by voice.
Rokid stated the system enables transactions to be completed faster than traditional smartphone-based QR payments, which can take 20-30 seconds, while also allowing hands-free operation.
“Equipping Rokid Glasses with payment capabilities brings users a smoother and more intuitive experience, while also ushering the AI glasses industry into the era of payment,” said Zhu Mingming, Founder and CEO of Rokid.
Zhang Aijuan, Vice President of Ant Group and Rotating President of its Digital Payment Business Unit, added: “Rokid Glasses deliver a brand-new user experience. Alipay will fully support the growth of emerging industries and continue to create more value for users.”
Alipay first launched its ‘Alipay Tap!’ feature in 2024, enabling payments by tapping an unlocked phone to a merchant terminal. As of April 2025, the company reported more than 100 million users had adopted the service.
AR Smart Glasses Powering the Future of Retail Experiences
This latest payment integration reflects a growing trend toward immersive commerce, where AR wearables serve as interfaces for product discovery, personalized shopping, and contactless transactions.
Rokid stated that the integration of payment functions into AR glasses points to a future of more seamless and intuitive commerce. In the coming years, the technology could enable people to complete transactions simply by looking at or gesturing toward a product, removing friction from both physical and digital shopping.
The company noted that this approach could support new ways for businesses to engage customers via location-aware services and interactive experiences, such as virtual try-on or personalized recommendations.
For more information on Rokid and its augmented reality glasses, please visit the company’s website.
Image credit: Rokid
Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.