Tencent Holdings Ltd, the Chinese mainland's biggest Internet company by sales, is increasing its footprint outside the mainland by offering online payment services, amid similar approaches by competitors to cash in on overseas shopping.

The company has teamed up with Taiwan-based E.SUN Bank to provide an online payment service that enables mainland Internet users to buy products such as food and cosmetics from Taiwan's small and medium-sized enterprises.

In 2011, Tencent's online payment arm, Tenpay, started to cooperate with US credit-card issuer American Express Co on a similar service for its users to buy goods on websites outside the Chinese mainland. The efforts are aimed at fending off competition from rivals such as Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, which goes head-to-head with Tencent in e-commerce, online payment, and other areas.