Guide to Mobile Payments in China: Need to Know
The most popular payment method nowadays is by scanning a code, with common options being Alipay and WeChat Pay; bank cards and credit cards are generally accepted in places like malls and restaurants. Of course, cash can also be used.
Alipay
Alipay can conveniently bind bank cards and complete transactions for both receiving payments and making payments. It can also be used conveniently for various scenarios such as online shopping, metro and bus transportation, mobile phone top-ups, and identity verification.
Registration
Alipay already cooperates with 65 financial institutions, among which are Visa and Mastercard, so if you already have a credit card all you have to do is download the Alipay app on your cell phone and register in a few simple steps. However, note that some of the functions only work if you use a Chinese credit (or debit) card.
Once you finish downloading the application, open it and proceed to the registration: you’ll first be asked to enter your cell phone number, later you’ll receive a message with a numeric code that you’ll have to enter in the app to continue with your registration.
The Alipay home page will open, so now you will have to add your credit card: access your profile by clicking on “Me” and then click on “Bank Cards” and proceed with the compilation or requested information, such as credit card number and your name and last name. Later Alipay will ask you to also enter a password to allow you to make payments with this application.
Scan & Pay
The application is very intuitive and the first useful buttons will be “Scan” and “Pay”.
The “Scan” button is for scanning QR codes: when paying at some stores and restaurants they’ll ask you to scan their QR code on your phone to then enter the amount to pay along with your password to enable payment.
The “Pay” button, instead, will make a bar code appear on the display of your smartphone to show in restaurants and scanner-equipped stores for payment.
WeChat Pay
WeChat started as a social media app and, due to its large user base, has become widely used for its payment feature.
Here’s how to add your credit card to WeChat Pay:
- Open the WeChat Pay app
- Select ‘Me’ and then ‘Wallet’
- Tap ‘Bank card’ and then ‘Add new bank card’
- Enter your card information
- Follow the steps to verify the billing address, including entering an SMS verification code sent to your registered phone number.