One Week in China: Could You Travel Without Your Wallet?

Imagine landing in a foreign country with no cash, no full wallet, and no need to reach for a physical bank card. Instead, your smartphone is all you need to pay for breakfast, hop into a taxi, browse a local market, and sit down for dinner. 

For many travellers, it seems almost futuristic or impossible. In China, however, it’s the reality. QR-code payments have become an everyday part of life. The bigger question for international travellers is not if China is ready for a wallet-free trip, but if your banking setup is. 

For customers of iFAST Global Bank, the answer is increasingly yes. 

With Worldwide Scan & Pay*, customers don’t need to worry about downloading another app just to pay in China, as you are able to make cross-currency QR payments straight from your iFAST Global Bank App. Simply scan participating Alipay QR codes to settle any transactions, with the money coming straight from your iFAST Global Bank Multi-Currency Current Account. 

So, let’s see what one week in China would look like, only using Worldwide Scan & Pay. 

Day 1: Shanghai–Your phone becomes your wallet 

After arriving in Shanghai, the first challenge for many international visitors is getting used to a payment culture that doesn’t involve cash or card.  

China has made considerable efforts to make its payment infrastructure more accessible to overseas visitors. Foreign travellers can use mobile payment services such as Alipay and WeChat Pay, and link eligible international bank cards to those accounts to make payments**. 

But there is another option. 

Worldwide Scan & Pay* allows iFAST Global Bank customers to take advantage of the QR code payment infrastructure, without having to download any external apps. Just go into your iFAST GB app, scan a participating Alipay QR code, and make a cross-currency payment straight from your Multi-Currency Current Account. No extra apps that make clutter, no need to worry about if you can link your bank card or not. Just peace of mind, knowing that you won’t be stuck without a payment option. 

**Source 

Day 2: Beijing–Paying like a local 

A trip to Beijing might involve a morning coffee, a ride across the city, lunch at a neighbourhood restaurant and an afternoon shopping trip. 

Traditionally, foreign visitors would prepare cards and cash to make payments. In China, all you need is your phone. 

No matter if you’re having a morning breakfast at a hole in the wall, taking a taxi across Beijing, lunch at a local establishment, or buying in a top-end shopping centre, you’ll see people paying with QR codes in every scenario. No need to worry about if you can use your card or not, just tap, scan, pay, and enjoy. 

Day 3: Xi’an–Scan Scan Scan 

By the middle of the week, the benefits of having China’s payment infrastructure built into your bank account are clearer and clearer. 

You wake up in the morning, grab breakfast from a local place, go for a short walk to buy a coffee, and pop into a souvenir shop for something to bring back with you. All this time, you haven’t had to think about your wallet even once. Even going into a train station and buying a ticket for a high-speed train seat, you still whip out your phone and scan to pay. As you’re sitting in your train seat, the scenery rushing around you, you feel a bit peckish. To solve this problem, you simply go to the dining car on board, buy yourself a meal, and scan the provided Alipay QR code to pay. And as you’re sitting back in your seat, meal in hand, you realise that you haven’t needed to use another payment method even once. 

Day 4: Chengdu–Street food fiesta 

Your fourth day in China is spent on rest. You’ve travelled to Shanghai, Beijing, and Xi’an in three days, so naturally you want to take some time in Chengdu to relax. Besides, you want to be refreshed for the night, as there’s a local night market you want to explore. 

Walking through the market, enjoying yourself just seems so easy. Every stall has a Alipay QR code ready to scan, and you aren’t left wanting, with beautiful scents wafting through the air to your nose. You’ve already indulged yourself, and one hand is covered in some sticky residue. No matter, that’s your food hand now. Simply use one hand to hold your next snack, and the other hand to use Worldwide Scan & Pay*. No need to try and open your wallet with one hand to fish out your card, just tap, scan, pay, and eat. 

Day 5: Shenzhen–High tech city, high tech payments 

Your fifth day takes you to Shenzhen, widely recognised as China’s leading high-tech city. High-tech cities naturally mean high-tech payments, and Shenzhen reflects that, with even the most local shops having Alipay QR code payment options. No matter if you’re looking for new phone accessories at a local market stall, or looking to buy a new camera in a dedicated flagship store, it’s always possible to scan, pay, and enjoy. 

Day 6: Hong Kong–The day trip out of China 

With Hong Kong so close by, it would seem foolish to not go and have a look. Fortunately, it’s easy, as you can go from Shenzhen to Hong Kong using a High speed train, with your journey landing you right in the centre of HK. While Hong Kong hasn’t quite reached China’s level of QR code adoption, they’re still prevalent enough that you have no trouble getting around. It doesn’t even matter that Hong Kong uses a different currency, as Worldwide Scan & Pay automatically converts your money to the merchant’s local currency, fee free. 

Day 7: Beijing–If only you could stay longer 

It’s the final day of your week in China, and you’re back in Beijing, ready to head to the airport. After checking in your luggage and heading through security, you stop by duty-free to grab a few last-minute gifts for friends and family back home. By now, Worldwide Scan & Pay is second nature, and by the time you’ve thought about bringing your phone out to pay, your hand is already holding the phone, and scanning the Alipay QR code, completing the cross-currency transaction. As you take your carry-ons and put them in the overhead of the plane you’re taking, you realise that throughout this whole week, you’ve never had to pay with cash or card. The only thing that you’ve had to do is scan, pay, and enjoy. 

Pay easier with Worldwide Scan & Pay 

In countries like China, Worldwide Scan & Pay shows just how useful QR code payments are. 

No fumbling around with cards, no dealing with spare change from cash. Just you, your phone, and your brand new purchase. 

But Worldwide Scan & Pay isn’t universal. 

Outside of countries like China, cash and card are still dominant. While Alipay+ QR code payments may be accepted in select establishments, the traditional methods of payment still prevail. 

But that doesn’t mean Worldwide Scan & Pay is useless. 

In countries like China and Hong Kong, Worldwide Scan & Pay shows its value. When in an ecosystem where traditional methods of payment aren’t used, Worldwide Scan & Pay helps ensure you aren’t stuck out. 

Worldwide Scan & Pay isn’t meant to eclipse traditional methods. 

It’s meant to compliment them. 

It’s meant to allow you to pay just that little bit easier. 

Worldwide Scan & Pay. Scan. Pay. Enjoy. 

*Scan & Pay is for cross-currency payments only. Availability of QR payments may vary by country and merchant. T&Cs apply.