手机支付

When I went out today, I forgot to bring my wallet. But I was not worried at all, because I had not used it in a very long time.

I am Xiao Yue, and I run a tiny dessert shop in Hangzhou. Today I am not making cakes. I want to show you how, in China, one phone can get you through a whole day.

Actually, when was the last time I used cash? I thought about it for ages and still could not remember. My wallet just sits in a drawer, and the money inside went old long ago.

So I only take three things when I go out: my phone, my keys, and a small umbrella. The phone is not for making calls. It is for paying.

At half past seven, I go to the gate of my compound for breakfast. One steamed bun, two yuan. I take out my phone, and the owner points at a piece of paper on the counter.

On that paper there is a black and white square. We call it a QR code. You point your phone at it, give it a scan, and the money is sent. This action, we call it scanning the code.

Here is a little bit of knowledge for you. There are two kinds of QR codes. One kind is put up by the shop. It is called the receiving code. You scan it, and then you type in the amount yourself.

The other kind is on your own phone. It is called the payment code. You just hold your phone up, let the owner scan it with a machine, and it is paid.

So when you buy something in China, you will often hear one line: do you scan me, or do I scan you? It sounds strange, but everybody understands it. Whether it is a big shopping mall, or a little fruit stall by the road, this is how you pay.

After breakfast, I take the metro to my shop. You used to have to buy a ticket first. Not anymore. I open the metro code on my phone, put it on the machine, and the gate opens.

When I get to the shop, the first thing I do is wipe the receiving code by the door clean. That tiny piece of paper is far more important than my wallet now.

When customers buy a cake, they scan that same piece of paper. Once they have paid, the little speaker on the counter starts talking: WeChat payment received, thirty-eight yuan.

I box up the cake for the customer while the speaker tells me the money has arrived. Whether they buy one cup of coffee or a whole big cake, I never have to give change.

At noon I have lunch with a friend. When we finished, she stood up first and said, let me pay, you can just transfer it to me later.

This is what we call AA, splitting the bill. One person pays the whole thing first, then everyone else transfers their own share over, and it is done in a minute.

In the afternoon the shop was quiet, so I took out my phone and looked at today's bill. It was all written out clearly: breakfast two yuan, metro four yuan, lunch thirty-eight.

That is the good side of paying by phone. Every single cent you spend, it writes down for you, so where your money went this month takes one glance to see. I look at it once a month, and I often get a shock afterwards.

But the bad side is right here too. The money never passes through your hands, so you do not get that feeling of spending. I have noticed that I buy random things more and more.

Speaking of phones, my friend's grandma is over seventy this year, and she uses hers really well. She often sends red packets in the group chat, and she grabs them faster than anyone.

Red packets are something we use all the time. Sending a red packet during a holiday, with a line of good wishes written on it, is much more fun than just transferring money.

Some people like to use special numbers, like five hundred and twenty, because it sounds like I love you. Another one is sixty-six, which means may everything go smoothly for you.

In the evening I closed the shop and wanted to ride home. There was a row of shared bikes parked by the road, and again you scan the code on the bike and the lock opens.

Riding along, I kept thinking that in this whole day I had not used cash a single time, and nothing had been held up.

Still, let me give you one reminder: when you first arrive in China, it is best to carry a little cash. Some small shops and some places still need it. Foreign cards can be linked to your phone now, but I suggest you try it out once you get here.

Also, do not wait until your phone is almost dead to worry. The moment your phone shuts off, you cannot buy anything, and that is one thing you have to remember.

Finally, let me teach you the three most useful lines. Number one: can I scan the code? Number two: do you scan me, or do I scan you? Number three: my phone is dead, can I pay in cash?

Back home, I put my phone on the table to charge, and only then did I remember that wallet. It had lain in the drawer all day, and had not been opened even once.

Xiao Hua jumped onto the table, looked at my phone, then looked at me. All right, that is all for today. Thank you for scanning your way through the day with me, and next time let us spend another day like this together.