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As a form of escrow, Alipay diffuses trust throughout Alibaba’s e-commerce empire. Consumers know that when they pay with Alipay their accounts will be debited only when they have received and are satisfied with the products they have ordered. Only then, after freezing the amount on the account, will Alipay release the funds to the merchant. Customers buying on Alibaba’s consumer sites can return goods up to seven days after purchase, provided they are not damaged.

Excerpted from page 18 of ‘Alibaba: The House that Jack Ma built’ by Duncan Clark