As of 18 July, “Zhihui” bracelets are being issued by the Nanjing Citizen Card Company. It is said that the bracelet will not only help citizens swipe on and off of buses, bikes and metros in 110 cities, but can also be used to purchase things from supermarkets and pay for daily bills.
Similar to that of a sports bracelet in design, its additional functions include an exercise tracker, sleep monitor and a call reminder, while the device is also waterproof, sweat resistant and comes with two payment functions. It can be registered online.
Yet, the bracelet has had a luke warm reception from local residents. Community liaison officer Mrs. Vivi Huang shared her thoughts with the Nanjinger; “I think it’s stupid! Aside from taking a bus or the metro our phones can do all the rest. Why would I need to buy a low quality product like this when my phone is so much more versatile? The bracelet only allows you to pay via blue tooth of NFC (Near Field Communication), but for us Alipay or WeChat are more convenient. it is so bothersome to start yet another way to pay for something! Some people who I know that have bought it have even said that when they touch the entrance gate machines, it is not sensitive enough. It won’t work at all, so the quality is obviously bad”.
