Good news for the Mandarin-impaired shopaholics: Baopals, ‘the English-language Taobao’ had just launched a handy new feature. As well as the possibility to sort items from either Taobao or Tmall, you can now choose the Baopals Express shopping option. According to the website, Express products are delivered within 48 hours, or (in most cases) 24 hours.

Items sold under Baopals Express “face stringent requirements to ensure authenticity and quality control. Like Taobao and Tmall, Express offers a wide selection of products and name brands, and is the go-to choice for electronics and home appliances.” The function is still in soft-launch mode (and just started on Apr 23) so it’s not clear yet how it will evolve but the launch is timely: in the wake of the COVID-19, shipping has generally been slower than usual, so any option to guarantee fast delivery is a welcome one.

Since launching in 2013, Baopals has been a savior for foreigners who want to take advantage of the vast Chinese online shopping market, but without the hassle of navigating the Chinese-language-only apps and unfamiliar UX. It essentially scoops up all the information available on Taobao and TMall, runs it through a translation system, and presents it in a very clean, easy-to-use format. All shipping information is automatically translated, customer support is in English, and it’s even possible to return items if necessary (something that none of my Taobao-using friends have ever succeeded in doing).

For more info about setting up an account, click here.

KEEP READING: How to Use the Bulk House Zero Waste Online Stores

Photos: RoseBox رز باکس (via Unsplash), Baopals

There’s a new level of verification on WeChat before you can use its WeChat Pay function, Beijing-based expats have said so after receiving this message on March 18 (Monday):

Naturally, some of us are like, “What did we do wrong?”, “Wait, what’s this?”… and so on. Several foreigners have also reported having difficulties transferring money using the app, paying Didi fares, or using NFC (near field communications) -based transactions. One person reported the verification process happens in transactions that reach the RMB 51 mark.

In several WeChat groups, people said they believe this new move may be part of tighter control of digital payments and something about annual money transfer limits.

If you “refuse” verifying your account by pressing the OK button, WeChat will send this message:

Unofficial translation

WeChat Pay Account Restriction Notice

Your account is not allowed to use the WeChat Pay function. Please upload your ID information.

Restriction begins: (time when WeChat sends you the message)
Restriction reason: According to the regulation, you need more ID information.

After some reluctance, I’ve tried to verify my individual account and so far, it is a very straightforward process.

Step 1

Fill in your information, which includes your valid ID (in this case, your passport number) and mobile number.

Step 2

Upload photos. There isn’t a clear requirement for the “Photo of You” part, so I just sent a studio photo just to be safe.

Step 3

Tap “Submit”. That “Customer service can process your request” part took less than 5 seconds. Once you sent these details, you can use the WeChat Pay function as if nothing happened.

What are those local regulations?

So far, WeChat has not yet explained the details of those “local regulations”. However, at the beginning of this year, the People’s Bank of China implemented a new regulation that requires WeChat and Alipay’s large quota transactions to be turned over, citing “gray areas” in mobile transactions in the e-commerce industry.

The People’s Bank of China also issued a notice on requirements for non-bank payment institutions to report large transactions. If the amount of single transactions on WeChat and Alipay is too large, specifically, if they exceed RMB 50,000 (and the foreign exchange exceeds USD 10,000), they must be cleared by the authorities.

What does this mean for your data?

We’re still trying to find out. Our team has called WeChat’s service hotline but we received automated responses. But it is important to note that WeChat already has a chunk of our information since we need to verify our account using our mobile number (which is linked to your passport) and banking information.

One PR practitioner, who wished to stay anonymous, believes the move is related to “tax and legality purposes”, though it happened without any notice.

“It’s annoying because it was working fine for a long time and now you need to register, and it will probably take a few days. A few days without Wechat pay is annoying. I actually thought they had all that information already, either via the bank connected to my account, or my mobile account, or my WeChat account.”

For Mike Shaw, global communications strategist at PR Newswire Asia, spending 30 seconds of sending more details to WeChat is not a big inconvenience, though he highlighted another risk.

“With every new regulation or ministry/agency that has oversight over transactions or access to capital flows, that’s one more lever that the government can pull at any time to make life difficult for foreigners here.”

“That may not be something that they are likely to do, but who knows what future circumstances will be like, or if the incentives for the government change?”

We’re still checking out the effects this change will have on normal transactions. We’ll update you as more information comes in.

Additional reporting by Kyle Mullin. Translation by Grace Zhang
Screenshots: Andy Penafuerte III

My trials with Chinese online payment methods are well-documented on beijingkids, from using Taobao to setting up WeChat Wallet. However, Alipay (also known as Zhifubao) has taunted me for years with its apparent need for a shenfenzheng number.

The chief appeal was being able to pay for flights without having to dip into my Canadian bank account. A few months ago, I applied for a Chinese credit card at China Merchants Bank but was denied for undisclosed reasons despite fulfilling all the prerequisites.

However, that’s moot since I recently figured out how to use Alipay. The process was maddeningly clunky and filled with trial-and-error, but lucky for you, I put together a step-by-step guide with screenshots.

Registering on Alipay
First, you’ll need to create an Alipay account. This is fiendishly complicated because the regular process requires a shenfenzheng (Chinese ID) number.

While helping a colleague set up her account, I had to chat with three different customer service reps to clarify the process for foreigners. Follow the steps below exactly as set out.

1. Go to www.alipay.com. Click on the clear button in the middle of the screen: 立即注册 (liji zhuce, sign up).

2. The default signup process uses the customer’s mobile number, but we want the screen with email signup. Click on the blue link below the orange button (see above).

3. Select your country – your nationality, not the country you live in. Enter your email address and the captcha code shown in blue.

4. Enter your mobile number. Make sure 中国大陆 (Zhongguo dalu, mainland China) is selected. Click the grey button underneath to receive a verification code on your mobile. Enter it in the box that pops up.

5. Check your email and click on the verification link in the message from Alipay.

6. Choose a login password and payment password. The login password must include 6-20 characters (letters, numbers, and punctuation marks), at least one uppercase letter, and no spaces. The payment password must be a six-digit numeric PIN.

7. Pick a security question from the drop-down list and enter the answer in the box underneath. Keep in mind that it’s case-sensitive. You may need someone who can read Chinese (or Pleco) for this step.

8. The last step is to fill in some personal details. Enter your name, surname, sex, passport number, and address in China. Pick “passport” (护照, huzhao) from the drop-down menu for “document type.” Click on the orange button when you’re done.

9. That’s it! It only took about a billion steps, but registration is finished.

Applying for Verification
Thought you were out of the woods? Silly rabbit, this is China. Foreigners can’t link a Chinese bank card to Alipay until they’ve completed the two-step verification process.

1. Sign in to your Alipay account. On the homepage, click the link next to your username: 未认证 (wei renzheng, unverified).

2. This is the verification homepage. Click on the tiny characters for “foreign nationalities” (外籍, waiji) underneath the yellow button.

3. Start by filling in your name; it should be exactly the same as the one registered to your Chinese bank account. My own verification process failed twice because I put my passport name; my bank reversed the name/surname order on my documents – “Chen Sijia” instead of Sijia Chen. When in doubt, check with your bank.

Next, enter your passport number. You’ll need to upload two scans from your passport: the photo ID page and the page with your entry dates to China.

Last, enter your address in China and phone number (mobile or office). Enter the captcha code and click on the orange button.

From here on out, all screenshots are from Alipay’s website; I’ve continued to annotate them where appropriate. If you read Chinese, see Alipay’s own guide on verification for foreigners.

4. Enter your bank details. Again, your name must be entered exactly as it was registered to your account. Select your bank and the city that you opened your account in. Enter the bank card number and click on the orange button.

5. The application process is complete. Within 1-2 days, Alipay will wire a small amount of money to your bank account (under RMB 1). Most users receive a SMS when money is deposited to their account; transaction history can also be checked at an ATM or a bank counter.

6. When you have the deposit amount, log into Alipay and click 未认证 on the homepage again. Here’s what it looks like again:

You’ll see this screen:

Click on the orange button that says 输入大款金额 (shu ru da kuan jin’e, enter transferred amount). You get one guess for what you do next. That’s right – enter the amount.

Finis! You can now use Alipay to pay for flights and other nifty things on websites like eLong or directly through the Alipay app. Don’t spend your money all in one place.

[Update]: As of October 2015, Alipay has an English interface for its app.

Screenshots: Sijia Chen and Alipay.com

Over the last three years, online retail has dramatically grown in sophistication, accessibility and magnitude. As our market gradually deviates towards vast online transactions that consume our daily lives, it is evident that numerous conventional retailers and local stores have been shutting their doors. Most people now carry a virtual shop in their pockets in the form of mobile phones or tablet devices. With so many purchasing options literally in the palm of everyone’s hand, it is clear that e-commerce has drastically altered our perception of retail and shopping.

Before the upsurge of e-commerce, all shopping had always been done conventionally through the stores themselves. Nowadays, with companies like China’s e-commerce powerhouse Alibaba spearheading this revolution, it is evident that online shopping will only continue to grow. As more and more people diverge from traditional shopping towards websites such as Taobao or Amazon, the already enormous-commerce market expands. This expansion creates a positive reinforcement loop, generating more and more revenue and attracting more and more consumers –and how could they resist? The allure of having purchases delivered to your doorstop without any physical effort is effective and efficient.

While the e-commerce industry has provided us with virtuous increases in convenience, criticism of the market is widespread; many condemn the lack of personal touch and finesse, while others point out the frequent absence of quality control. However, while these disadvantages may be evident, the bigger problem that e-commerce generates is the demise of small, intimate boutiques and personalized shops. In Beijing in particular, we are witnessing small, family owned businesses close their doors for good due to lack of revenue. This raises distressing questions regarding the direction of online retail: will our future will be consumed and engulfed by the big cooperate name brands of e-commerce? Will small and intimate stores cease to exist?

However, e-commerce prevails is in its cost effectiveness, which is not only beneficial for consumers, but also for businesses. Products in online retail websites are often cheaper than their store-bought counterparts, as firms forgo the cost of running a physical shop. Furthermore, e-commerce businesses lack traditional limitations of shelf size or store capacity; therefore, everything businesses intend sell can now be listed and presented to the consumer.

In the years to come, e-commerce will most likely be the most popular means of retail; but for e-commerce to flourish even further, it must begin to emphasize personalized consumer products. It is essential not to neglect the power of a direct relationship with the consumer, as doing so will fill the void left by the eventual absence of intimate boutiques.

There are countless advantages and disadvantages when it comes to online retail, but the undeniable fact is that the e-commerce revolution is in full swing and is indisputably changing the way we live. The convenience of e-commerce has cemented its place within our lives, and almost every one of us is engaged in the market in some way or another. So sit back and relax until your next package arrives – I’m sure it will be worth the wait.

This article originally appeared in the May/June 2015 issue of UNIT-E. It was written by Matthew Ding, a student at Dulwich College Beijing. 

About UNIT-E
UNIT-E was founded in the spring of 2010 with the aim of establishing a non-profit, student-run magazine for international students in Beijing. Staffed by current students from a range of international schools, the magazine provides an amalgam of cultural tidbits, fragments of Beijing student life, and a broad spectrum of unique perspectives from a diverse group of young adults.

Photo: bfishadow (flickr)

For the longest time, I couldn’t figure out how to use Taobao without an Alipay account. After setting up online banking at my bank (China Merchants Bank), I kept running into a screen at check-out prompting me for a Chinese ID (shenfenzheng) number. Entering a passport number wasn’t an option, so my online adventures were always foiled there.

But recently, a friend told me she’s always been able to use Taobao without an Alipay account or shenfenzheng number. You just have to go through online banking, she said, and sent me detailed instructions. The answer was so dumb, so simple, and led to an "aha!" moment as I gleefully bought a cave for my pet crayfish, Christopher (don’t ask). I’ve republished my friend’s instructions here – with screenshots.

Before anything, you must have online banking set up; you must go to your bank in person with your passport, but it only takes a few minutes.

Here, I’ve just checked out and I’m being presented with the payment options screen. However, they’re all through Alipay.

Scroll down a bit. You’ll see an alternative option called 网上银行 ("online banking"). It’s very easy to miss because the dropdown menu is collapsed by default. Click on the blue characters that say 选择其他  ("Select another option").

A pop-up window will emerge with all the different banks. I selected China Merchants Bank. Be sure not to confuse your bank’s icon with the ones at the bottom; they’re meant for businesses and enterprises. Then, click the orange button that says 下一步 ("next step").

On the next screen, do not tick the box that says 同意 ("agree"); that will take you to Alipay, which we’re trying to avoid. Just click the orange button that says 登陆到网上银行付款 ("sign in to online banking to pay").

A new tab will open to your bank’s online payment site. Enter your card number; make sure that 借记卡 ("debit card") is selected, not 信用卡 ("credit card"). Click the blue button that says "next."

Click the button that says 免费获取 ("obtain for free") next to the first field; that will send a six-digit security code to your mobile phone. Enter it in the first field. In the second field, enter your debit card PIN. When you click 确定支付 ("confirm payment"), a little white window will pop up. Click 确定 ("confirm") again.

Yay! Success!

You’ll also get a confirmation on your mobile.

Now go out there and shop!

Special thanks to Cerian Foulkes for demystifying Taobao and Tara Talabi for the headline suggestion

Screenshots by Sijia Chen