CHINA IS SETTING THE LEADERSHIP IN CASH-LESS PAYMENT
May 31, 2018 By NetFin
When it comes to internet and apps, China is definitely the World’s leader. It’s no surprise that we can see China’s leadership in using mobile payment and almost no cash or credit cards. Two apps are leading this tendency: WeChat and Alipay.
Both applications are not only making payment very easy, but as well they are gathering a huge amount of information of each user that can help them receive recommendations on what to buy and where according to what they like.
Some services like renting a bike, hiring a taxi, and dozens of others can be paid by WeChat and the services providers sometimes prefer and only accept this kind of payment.
As well there are some supermarkets, Hema supermarkets by Alibaba, now in which you can scan a QR code on any product available and you can add to favorites, order, buy and make them delivered only using Alipay payment. All your purchases data is stored and analyzed in order to recommend you products you may like in the future.
The food business has also made huge profits using WeChat payment in which consumers can make reservations, order food and even save some money. As seen in a recent video from Wall Street Journal called “China’s Great Leap to Wallet-Free Living” according to mobile payment leader Tencent three quarters of the fast food orders are made through mobile payments.
This information is making online marketing in China, especially WeChat marketing extremely personalized and effective for both companies and users as the WeChat ads are quite direct to consumers’ preferences.
As well one of the most popular sites in China, Tao Bao, the equivalent of Amazon, uses Alipay payment and makes it very easy to users to find products that match their previous styles and products.
As seen in WSJ video, these apps are gathering all the personal data from users, but Chinese people are less protective of their private information, making companies selling products or providing services being able to customize recommendations according to the data gathered on users from their previous buys or services. This will be more difficult to develop in other countries in which private data is much protected, but it shows the rest of the World how a cash free way of living works.
Below is the link for the video of WSJ which will explain in a more detailed way how the wallet-free living in Shenzhen, China can lead the World in this payment tendency.