“Large Transactions with Cards,Small Transactions with Scanning Codes,and Cash as a Backup”

On March 14th, the People's Bank of China released both Chinese and English versions of its payment guide, introducing foreign visitors to the ways of obtaining various payment services and the process of using them. When planning to visit Shanxi, what methods of payment can you use? Let's take a look！

1. Bank Card

If you have bank cards labeled with UnionPay, Visa, Mastercard, etc，you can use them for card payments at merchants displaying the corresponding acceptance logos.If there is no such logo, you can ask the cashier whether your bank card can be used for card payments.If you hold a UnionPay card, you can use it at all merchant POS terminals in China's mainland.

2.Mobile Payment

You can enjoy convenient payments with just a mobile phone. Payment services such as Alipay, Weixin Pay and UnionPay are available. The payment guide from the People's Bank of China indicates that no IDs are required for transactions under a certain amount.

When using mobile payment, typically only four steps are required: downloading the app, registering or logging in with your mobile phone number, linking your bank card to the app, and scanning to make payments. However, the supported bank cards for linking may vary among payment institutions.

The payment guide also introduces how to pay with a tour card.The Tour Card is a prepaid card which you can apply for and top up in the UnionPay App to make everyday purchases, online or offline.

Additionally，If you are a user of the following international e-wallets，you can directly pay with e-wallets below without downloading other apps.

3.Cash

If you need cash, you can withdraw CNY cash with your bank card at an ATM with logos of the corresponding bank card organizations. You can also directly exchange at bank outlets with currency exchange signs, outlets of qualified financial institutions, or self-service kiosks.

4.Bank Account

You can open a bank account with your passport or other valid IDs at any nearby bank outlet, such as the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), the Agricultural Bank of China (ABC), the Bank of China (BOC), the China Construction Bank (CCB), and the Bank of Communications (BOCOM). With the account, you can enjoy a variety of financial services (such as deposit and withdrawal of both CNY and foreign currencies, foreign currency purchase and sale, domestic transfer and cross-border remittance, foreign currency exchange,and making payments).

（The screenshots in the text are all from the website of the People's Bank of China. For more specific guidance information, you can visit the website of the People's Bank of China .)

Source: The website of the People's Bank of China