Alipay rides to the rescue

Passengers taking more than 1,300 buses and 10 ferries on the Huangpu River, can pay with Alipay from Tuesday, according to Shanghai Transport Card Company.

Unfortunately, only those with 18-digit ID card numbers can currently use the service. There is no option for those without Chinese ID cards, although Alipay expect to resolve the matter soon. Some months ago, WeChat payments faced the same issue, but the matter has since been resolved.

Transfer discounts also apply. Passengers taking another bus within an hour after they jump off the previous one will have 1 yuan (14 US cents) waived from the fare.

“I was annoyed that I would have to change some coins for the bus, as we don’t really use coins in Beijing,” said Yan Da, a tourist. “But I saw on the news that I can use Alipay and it saves me a lot of hassle.”