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In Chinatown, Xiangwen noticed that Alipay, a mobile payment application that is widely popular in China, could be accepted by Loon Fung and the bakery we visited and almost every restaurant or stores we passed. For promotion, Alipay offers discounts together with other service providers, e.g., Hungry Panda, a Chinese cuisine delivery platform.
“It seems Alipay will take over Chinatown soon. That would be pretty good.” He said.
He told me early this year when he went back to China for a holiday, and he did not need a wallet with him all the time.
“Yes, cash is dead in China, at least for me.” He said.
However, I found the words of “Alipay is acceptable” on the Hungry Panda poster are only in Chinese. It seems no restaurant or shops highlights this payment application in English for non-Chinese.
I know the reason several days later when Halle told me that she could not link her husband’s bank card, one issued by a British bank, to the Alipay account she newly registered for her husband.
People in London may all know Chinatown. But it seems no non-Chinese know there is a mobile payment application like Apply Pay can be accepted everywhere in this town.
Interestingly, Xiangwen did not use Alipay in Loon Fung, and he said it was because he remembered the GBP to CNY exchange rate on Alipay is not better than his credit card. Alipay’s settlement currency is Chinese Yuan.