[Kurokun] My Brazilian friend thought he could survive China without Alipay. Here's how that went.
Hey everyone, Kurokun here.So my friend Lucas from São Paulo visited Shanghai last month. Before he arrived, he told me: "I'll just use my credit card and some cash. I don't want to deal with Chinese apps."
I told him it was a bad idea. He said he'd be fine.
He was not fine.
Day 1 — The Airport
Lucas lands at Pudong. Tries to buy a metro ticket with his Visa card. The machine rejects it three times. He goes to the counter. The attendant points at a sign: "Cash only for single tickets."
He only has a ¥100 bill. The machine doesn't give change. He stands there blocking the line for five minutes until a local guy helps him use the ticket app.
Day 2 — Lunch
We go to a local noodle shop. No English menu. No pictures. Just a wall of Chinese characters.
I order for both of us with my phone. Lucas tries to pay me back in cash. I say: "Just get Alipay." He says: "No, I'm good."
That night, we try to grab street food. The vendor doesn't take cash. At all. She literally doesn't have a cash drawer. Lucas watches me scan a QR code and eat dumplings while he stands there hungry.
Day 3 — The Breaking Point
Lucas wants to take a Didi to the Bund. He downloads the app but can't pay because he has no Chinese payment method linked. He tries to flag a taxi. Two empty cabs pass him by because they don't want to deal with a foreigner paying cash.
He calls me. I can hear the frustration in his voice.
"Okay," he says. "Teach me Alipay. Right now."
Took us 20 minutes. Passport scan. Selfie. Link his Mastercard. Done.
Day 4 — The Conversion
Lucas pays for breakfast with his phone. Pays for metro with his phone. Pays for coffee with his phone. He looks at me and says: "This is actually... incredible? Why doesn't every country work like this?"
By Day 5, he's paying for everything faster than I am.
The lesson: If you're visiting China for more than 48 hours, just set up Alipay or WeChat Pay on day one. Don't be a Lucas.
Anyone else have a friend who resisted mobile payment and then got converted?
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