No cash, no problem: Beggars in China now accept WeChat Pay

Given the advancement of technology, the cashless phenomenon has, without a doubt, been gaining traction each year.

Following the adoption of cashless payment amongst beggars in China back in 2017, yet another elderly Chinese beggar has taken the internet by storm.

Facebook user Fazil Irwan shared his friends' recent experience in Beijing, China and the post has garnered over 16,000 shares since Nov 27.

Irwan wrote that his friends had been on their way to have dinner one evening when a beggar approached them for money.

Attempting to fend the beggar off, one of them told the elderly woman that she did not have any cash on hand.

To her dismay, the beggar said it was alright and whipped out a card with a QR code. She also told her that she accepted donations through WeChat.

In the end, the beggar was still given some money.

These cashless transactions aren't exactly new either — China Daily reported two years ago some beggars had forgone the traditional methods of collecting alms.

Armed with QR codes on tags or tin cups, these savvy beggars thoroughly embraced the cashless vibes.

With electronic payment continuously evolving, only time would tell what other tricks these beggars could pull out of their hats to outsmart future measures.

mabelkhoo@asiaone.com