Tencent rolls out taxi fare payment app

Smartphone service based on WeChat provides competition for rival Alibaba

Internet giant Tencent has launched an app that allows taxi passengers in Beijing to pay fares via smartphone, providing direct competition for a similar service run by rival Alibaba.

The company has teamed up with Didi Dache, a taxi-booking app and will make the mobile payment service available through WeChat, its text and voice messaging app.