Chinese buyers can now shop directly online from the biggest department stores in the U.S., as Alipay’s ‘foreign direct purchase’ ePass service goes live for the holiday season. The stores will now be open to any shopper who has an account with Chinese marketplace giant Taobao. Shopping for overseas products has been historically difficult for Chinese consumers, who face barriers using credit cards online. Peng believes that the move to connect directly with U.S. department stores will help fix a ‘disjointed’ system that often requires Chinese consumers to use a middleman agency when buying from abroad. The new direct additions to Alipay follow a rise in overseas purchasing options for Chinese consumers.