The partnership also affects the Uber app. Passengers can now link their Alipay account inside Uber's own software, negating the need to connect a dual-currency credit card (and have trips charged in US dollars).

The deal is similar to the one Lyft forged last year with Didi Chuxing, known then as Didi Kuaidi. Now, Americans visiting China can use the Lyft app to hail a Didi Chuxing ride; the same integration works in reverse, allowing Didi Chuxing users to hail Lyfts in the US. In both instances, the idea is to tie users to a particular ride-hailing provider, and discourage trips with any competing service. For companies like Uber and Lyft, success depends on scale and mass adoption. Partnerships like these are, therefore, designed to quickly claim new users, mindshare and, ultimately, business.