my friends above, you all missing what's ant's business model. Basically alipay and wechatpay dominated everyone's life in china, they use it everyday. Not just transfer money to friends or beggars, like that jack ma won't earn money.
Using alipay to make payment, there is a small amt charged to the merchant by alipay, iirc 0.06%, but the market is so big, that make a big part of their earning.
but many don't know ant have license to offer small loan, the product is called "借呗" (means just borrow), no cash on hand? you can anyhow borrow few hundred rmb also can, to treat ur girlfriend a good meal or whatever u want to spend, interest like 12.775%~16.425% pa
They also offer product called "花呗" (just spend), many ppl don't have credit card, but ant know u better than u know urself, they know how much u earn if your boss transfer salary to you using alipay, of course how much u spend they sure know, they let you spend first then pay back later like credit card, 18% pa.
You use alipay and taobao everyday, and ant building on you the habit of just borrow and just spend. This is a big market, growing crazy, almost 40% income (~28.6b rmb) from credit products in first 6 months this year, more than their payment business (26b rmb), pls be reminded these credit products only come to market few years ago, a lot of potential. jack ma keep pushing their gov loosen restriction on their "creativity" in doing business, he gave a speech recently on this thing, meaning wanting gov loosen control on their credit products (their gov has been tightening after impact of these credit products shown, they dont want china become US like that)
And they are growing in offering financial and insurance products also.