Most of us in China are used to paying for everything with our phones.At least, this was the case for Lim Swee Say from Singapore, who found his first experience with Chinese payment methods quite impressive. Lim was waiting in line to buy nuts at a street stall (货摊) in Shanghai and saw other customers show their phones and take the nuts without giving cash.It seems that Singapore falls behind in mobile payments. Some Chinese tourists find it inconvenient when they have to use cash in Singapore.
According to Xinhua News Agency, many countries now accept mobile payment services for Chinese tourists, with WeChat Pay covered in 13 overseas countries and regions and Alipay over 200. It's now common to see the familiar green or blue logos in tourist destinations around the world, from a tiny shop in the Scottish Highlands to a huge department store in New York.
Mobile payments are now a normal part of life in China, and the trend is sweeping other nations. According to Forrester Research, in America, mobile payments rose by 37 per cent in 2016.
This may be partly because western mobile payment services require businesses to install expensive equipment before customers can use them.
A. He was trying to figure out how they got paid.
B. Foreign tourists don't like to pay with their mobile phones.
C. But in China, all it takes is a QR code (二维码) and a phone.
D. Soon after, he realized that the customers were using WeChat Pay.
E. Still, Chinese mobile payments were nearly 50 times greater than those in the US.
F. But for foreign visitors who aren't familiar with this method, it may seem strange.
G. The popularity of Chinese mobile payments has pushed some foreign companies to accept them.
