Linguistically, here in the south, when referring to monetary amounts, Nanjingers will not verbally refer to “yuan” and “jiao”. Instead, they say “kuai” and “mao”.
Next, despite all the modern conveniences of mobile payments, it should first of all be remembered that bank notes and coins remain legal tender in China. As such, all retailers are required by law to accept such, but they may not carry a lot of change on hand.
Even Chinese credit cards are now not accepted at many locations. In Nanjing especially, western credit cards will not get you very far, other than at five-star hotels, and a small selection of large international retailers and restaurant chains. Therefore, mobile is without doubt the way to go.
As in most Chinese cities, Alipay and WeChat are the two default payment solutions in Nanjing and a plethora of information can be found elsewhere as to the set up and operation of both. It is worth noting that while Alipay, for example, requires confirmation of identity, it is not necessary to bind any bank card to the app in order to use it to make payments. All that is needed is money in the app. And that just needs someone else with Alipay to send you some; your Chinese colleague or friend, they who issued your letter of invitation for your visa, etc. Or, be nice to your hotel on check in and they may be willing to sort you out.
Yet, Alipay allows all major international credit cards to be binded to the app. Three steps it all it takes:
- Open the Alipay app and look for “sign up”
- In the “Me” section, look for “Bank Card” followed by “Add card”
- Look for “Verify now” and complete confirmation of identity
But beware the small print. Single transactions are limited to no more than ¥3,000, ¥50,000 in 1 month and ¥60,000 in 1 year. While no fee is levied by Alipay for payments under ¥200, a 3 percent charge is applied for anything greater. Note that these amounts are subject to change at any time and without notice.
For both Alipay and WeChat, payment in small shops is made by scanning a code presented by the retailer likely placed on their counter top or wall. Larger shops with a Point of Sale system require the payee to present the APP’s payment code to scanners of various kinds.
Some shops, notably convenience store, have automated systems which require no human intervention. Scan the goods you wish to purchase yourself, pay and be on your way.
Nanjing-based Suguo operates stores of all sizes, with smaller stores on almost every block and a large supermarket in most Neighbourhood. Read our guide as to shopping and paying for things in Suguo here.
