Easing Payment Bottlenecks for Foreigners in China
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- Cecilia Skingsley, head of the BIS Innovation Hub, faced payment difficulties in Beijing due to the prevalence of QR code payments and the decline in cash and card acceptance.
- China's mobile payment adoption rate is 86%, leading globally, but foreign visitors struggle with QR code payments due to registration barriers and privacy concerns.
- The People's Bank of China is addressing these issues by promoting card acceptance, improving mobile payment services for foreigners, and ensuring cash as a backup option.
文｜财新周刊 丁锋 张宇哲 刘冉 王力为
By Caixin Weekly's Ding Feng, Zhang Yuzhe, Liu Ran, Wang Liwei
2023年6月间，国际清算银行（BIS）创新中心负责人Cecilia Skingsley在北京参加多边CBDC（央行数字货币）工作会后，跟同事在金融街一家餐馆吃炸酱面，最后结账时犯了难，她手头只有人民币现金和境外银行卡，而已经习惯扫码支付的餐馆因为没法找零不收现金，最后还是BIS中国员工扫码支付才解决。
In June 2023, Cecilia Skingsley, head of the Innovation Hub at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), encountered a payment dilemma in Beijing after attending a multilateral Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) working meeting. While dining on Zhajiang noodles with colleagues at a restaurant on Financial Street, she found herself unable to pay the bill; she only had Chinese cash and an overseas bank card on hand. Accustomed to QR code payments, the restaurant did not accept cash as they could not provide change. Ultimately, the issue was resolved when a BIS employee from China stepped in to make the payment via QR code scan.
Cecilia Skingsley就餐结账遇到的难题，是疫情后很多境外来华人士的共同困境。面对疫情三年加速线上化的中国，很多境外人士发现自己从走出机场的那一刻开始，就寸步难行，无论在机场搭乘出租车、公交、地铁，还是出门就餐、购物、逛景点、去医院甚至买杯咖啡，都需要扫码支付，手持境外银行卡和兑换的人民币现金，也面临“有钱花不出去”的窘境。
The dilemma Cecilia Skingsley faced when paying for a meal is a common predicament for many foreigners coming to China after the pandemic. In the face of a China that has accelerated its online presence over three years due to the pandemic, many foreigners find themselves struggling from the moment they step out of the airport. Whether taking a taxi, bus, or subway at the airport, or going out to dine, shop, visit attractions, go to the hospital, or even buy a cup of coffee, they are required to make payments via QR code scanning. Holding foreign bank cards and exchanged Chinese yuan in cash, they also face the awkward situation of "having money but not being able to spend it."
“2023年以来，随着中国与欧美等国家通航逐渐增多，一些外国商务人士陆续往来中国，但他们觉得有诸多不便，基本上出了酒店就无所适从，到处都需要扫码支付。”一位国际卡组织人士说。
"Since the beginning of 2023, as flights between China and countries in Europe and America gradually increase, some foreign businesspeople have been traveling to and from China. However, they find many inconveniences; essentially, once they leave their hotels, they are at a loss because QR code payments are required everywhere," said a representative from an international card organization.
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