When I went on a short holiday to Shanghai in 2017, I’d not long since started hesitantly using Apple Pay in the UK. Welcome to the 21st Century. But I was genuinely put to shame wherever I went in Shanghai, as I was literally the only person using cask. Even the most mature of people would pay for their lunches using Wechat.
Roll on 2021 in Wenzhou and more so than last time, I a, by far one of the only people paying for things using cash as I await my first paycheque and thus, the activation of my Wechat Pay and Alipay. Yes, there are ways around using both of these without a Chinese bank card i.e. ask a Chinese friend to transfer balance or use Alipay’s tourist feature. Anyway, China Construction Bank always coughs up my money at its cash machines and for an OK fee, so there’s no rush there. Besides, I do like the non-traceable and bargaining aspect of cash, not that I’m doing anything underhand whatsoever. But after receiving my residence permit, it’s my next step towards temporary Chinese citizenship for the next year or two.
We’re tracked and traced wherever we are on the planet, but once I add my financial details and behaviours to Chinese social media accounts, I’ve voluntarily submerged myself one level deeper.
But the takeaway from this is, if you don’t use cashless platforms in China, prepare to go without, as I found the other day in a Starbucks in a busy part of the city. After ordering my bing cafe (mai you niu nai if you ever offer) the cashier informed me that they had no change for my 50 yuan note, unless I could wait 5 minutes. With a mounting queue behind me and a need to get my backside in gear, I responded that “no harsh feelings, but I can’t wait for my change. The plus side is though that I then went to my local Chinese coffee shop, where, bar the second-hand smoke, the overall experience is far superior: better, far cheaper coffee, lemon water, toasted sunflower seeds and warm, genuine local company. However, Wenzhou Hua, whaaaaat theeeeee!!??
