yídòng zhīfù: 移动支付 - Mobile Payment

• Keywords: yidong zhifu, 移动支付, mobile payment in China, Chinese mobile payment, Alipay, WeChat Pay, how to pay in China, QR code payment, cashless society China, learning Chinese for travel
• Summary: Discover “移动支付 (yídòng zhīfù)”, the Chinese term for mobile payment. This comprehensive guide explains how platforms like Alipay and WeChat Pay have transformed China into a nearly cashless society. Learn the essential vocabulary, cultural significance, and practical steps for using mobile payments, a must-know concept for anyone traveling to, living in, or doing business with China.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): yídòng zhīfù
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: A method of payment made using a mobile device, such as a smartphone.
• In a Nutshell: “移动支付” is the standard term for the mobile payment systems that dominate daily life in China. It refers to using apps like Alipay or WeChat Pay to scan a QR code and pay for virtually anything, from a cup of coffee to a taxi ride. It's not just a feature; it's the financial backbone of modern Chinese society.

• 移 (yí): To move, to shift, to change position. Think of moving furniture (移动家具, yídòng jiājù).
• 动 (dòng): To move, to act. It implies action or motion, like in “animal” (动物, dòngwù).
• 支 (zhī): To support, to prop up, but in a financial context, it means to pay or expend.
• 付 (fù): To pay, to hand over. This character is almost exclusively about payment.

The characters combine logically: 移动 (yídòng) means “mobile” or “moveable,” and 支付 (zhīfù) is a formal term for “payment.” Together, 移动支付 (yídòng zhīfù) literally translates to “mobile payment,” a direct and unambiguous term.

In the West, mobile payment is a growing convenience, often supplementing credit cards and cash. In China, 移动支付 is the default and has fundamentally reshaped society. China largely leapfrogged the era of widespread credit card adoption, moving directly from a cash-based economy to a mobile-payment-based one. The Western concept of mobile payment often involves NFC technology (tapping your phone). In contrast, Chinese 移动支付 is almost entirely built around 二维码 (èrwéimǎ), or QR codes. Every business, from luxury malls to street food carts, has a QR code that customers scan to pay. This system is deeply integrated into the two super-apps that rule Chinese digital life: 1. 支付宝 (Zhīfùbǎo) - Alipay: Started by Alibaba, it's a dedicated financial app. 2. 微信支付 (Wēixìn Zhīfù) - WeChat Pay: Integrated into WeChat, China's primary messaging and social media app. The ubiquity of 移动支付 has created a “无现金社会” (wú xiànjīn shèhuì - cashless society). Many vendors prefer mobile payment, and some may not even have change for large cash bills. This system is also social; sending digital “红包” (hóngbāo - red envelopes) of money to friends and family through WeChat is a common practice for birthdays and holidays.

移动支付 is used for everything. It is the expected method of payment in almost all consumer situations.

• Retail and Dining: You will scan the merchant's QR code (called “扫码” sǎo mǎ) to pay. At restaurants, you often scan a QR code on the table to see the menu, order, and pay without ever speaking to a waiter.
• Transportation: Used to pay for taxis, Didi (China's Uber), subways, and buses, often by generating a QR code on your phone for the scanner to read.
• Utilities and Bills: Paying electricity, water, and internet bills is done directly through Alipay or WeChat Pay.
• Social Transactions: Sending money to friends (“转账” zhuǎnzhàng) is instant and free. Splitting a dinner bill is as simple as one person paying and others sending their share via WeChat.
• For Foreigners: Historically, it was difficult for foreigners to use 移动支付 as it required a Chinese bank account. However, as of recent updates, both Alipay and WeChat Pay have streamlined the process for linking foreign credit cards (like Visa, Mastercard), making it much more accessible for tourists, though some limitations may apply.

The term 移动支付 itself is slightly formal. In conversation, people are more likely to ask “可以微信/支付宝吗？” (Kěyǐ Wēixìn/Zhīfùbǎo ma? - Can I use WeChat/Alipay?) or simply say “我扫你” (wǒ sǎo nǐ - I'll scan you) or “你扫我” (nǐ sǎo wǒ - You scan me).

• Example 1:
  • 在中国，移动支付非常普遍。
  • Pinyin: Zài Zhōngguó, yídòng zhīfù fēicháng pǔbiàn.
  • English: In China, mobile payment is extremely common.
  • Analysis: A simple, factual statement about the prevalence of mobile payments. “普遍” (pǔbiàn) means common or universal.
• Example 2:
  • 老板，这里支持移动支付吗？
  • Pinyin: Lǎobǎn, zhèlǐ zhīchí yídòng zhīfù ma?
  • English: Boss, do you support mobile payment here?
  • Analysis: A practical question you would ask a shopkeeper or vendor. “老板” (lǎobǎn) is a common way to address a proprietor. “支持” (zhīchí) means “to support” or “to accept.”
• Example 3:
  • 我出门一般不带现金，只用移动支付。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ chūmén yībān bù dài xiànjīn, zhǐ yòng yídòng zhīfù.
  • English: I usually don't carry cash when I go out, I only use mobile payment.
  • Analysis: This sentence perfectly illustrates the reality for many people in China. “现金” (xiànjīn) means cash.
• Example 4:
  • 移动支付的出现改变了人们的消费习惯。
  • Pinyin: Yídòng zhīfù de chūxiàn gǎibiànle rénmen de xiāofèi xíguàn.
  • English: The emergence of mobile payment has changed people's spending habits.
  • Analysis: A more formal sentence discussing the societal impact. “消费习惯” (xiāofèi xíguàn) means “consumer habits.”
• Example 5:
  • 你可以用支付宝或者微信来进行移动支付。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ kěyǐ yòng Zhīfùbǎo huòzhě Wēixìn lái jìnxíng yídòng zhīfù.
  • English: You can use Alipay or WeChat to make a mobile payment.
  • Analysis: This sentence names the two major platforms. “进行” (jìnxíng) is a slightly more formal verb for “to carry out” or “to conduct.”
• Example 6:
  • 连街边的小摊贩都接受移动支付。
  • Pinyin: Lián jiēbiān de xiǎo tānfàn dōu jiēshòu yídòng zhīfù.
  • English: Even the small street vendors accept mobile payment.
  • Analysis: This emphasizes the complete saturation of mobile payments in the market. “连…都…” (lián…dōu…) is a common structure meaning “even…”.
• Example 7:
  • 使用移动支付时，我们也要注意账户安全。
  • Pinyin: Shǐyòng yídòng zhīfù shí, wǒmen yě yào zhùyì zhànghù ānquán.
  • English: When using mobile payment, we must also pay attention to account security.
  • Analysis: A sentence that brings up a related, important topic. “账户安全” (zhànghù ānquán) means “account security.”
• Example 8:
  • 现在外国游客也可以绑定信用卡来使用中国的移动支付了。
  • Pinyin: Xiànzài wàiguó yóukè yě kěyǐ bǎngdìng xìnyòngkǎ lái shǐyòng Zhōngguó de yídòng zhīfù le.
  • English: Now foreign tourists can also link their credit cards to use China's mobile payment.
  • Analysis: A very useful and current piece of information for learners who plan to travel to China. “绑定” (bǎngdìng) means “to link” or “to bind.”
• Example 9:
  • 移动支付让朋友之间转账变得非常方便。
  • Pinyin: Yídòng zhīfù ràng péngyǒu zhījiān zhuǎnzhàng biànde fēicháng fāngbiàn.
  • English: Mobile payment makes transferring money between friends become very convenient.
  • Analysis: Highlights the social aspect of these payment apps. “转账” (zhuǎnzhàng) means “to transfer money.”
• Example 10:
  • 这个商场的移动支付系统今天好像出问题了。
  • Pinyin: Zhège shāngchǎng de yídòng zhīfù xìtǒng jīntiān hǎoxiàng chū wèntí le.
  • English: It seems like the mobile payment system in this mall is having problems today.
  • Analysis: A sentence describing a potential problem, which can be a real issue in a cashless society. “出问题” (chū wèntí) means “to have a problem.”

• QR Code vs. NFC: The biggest misunderstanding for Westerners. “Mobile payment” in the US/Europe often implies NFC tap-to-pay (Apple Pay, Google Pay). In China, 移动支付 is synonymous with scanning 二维码 (èrwéimǎ - QR codes). Your NFC-based payment system will not work in China.
• Formal Term vs. Daily Action: While 移动支付 is the correct noun, you rarely use it when performing the action. Instead of saying “我要用移动支付” (I want to use mobile payment), you would be more specific:
  • Correct: “我用微信付” (Wǒ yòng Wēixìn fù - I'll pay with WeChat).
  • Correct: “扫码” (Sǎo mǎ - Scan the code).
• False Friend: “Online Payment”: While mobile payment is a form of online payment, 移动支付 specifically refers to payments made *in-person* using a mobile device. For paying on a website from a computer, you might use the broader term “在线支付” (zàixiàn zhīfù - online payment), though Alipay/WeChat are used for that as well. The key context for 移动支付 is the physical world.

• 二维码 (èrwéimǎ) - QR Code. The technological basis for most Chinese mobile payments.
• 扫码 (sǎo mǎ) - To scan a code. The verb that describes the action of paying with your phone.
• 支付宝 (Zhīfùbǎo) - Alipay. One of the two dominant mobile payment platforms, run by Alibaba's Ant Group.
• 微信支付 (Wēixìn Zhīfù) - WeChat Pay. The other major platform, integrated into the WeChat messaging app.
• 付款 (fùkuǎn) - To make a payment. A more general term for payment, can be used for cash, card, or mobile.
• 转账 (zhuǎnzhàng) - To transfer money. A key function within mobile payment apps for sending money to individuals.
• 红包 (hóngbāo) - Red envelope. Traditionally a physical gift of cash, now a wildly popular digital feature on WeChat Pay.
• 无现金社会 (wú xiànjīn shèhuì) - Cashless society. A term used to describe the modern Chinese economy where physical cash is rarely used.
• 收钱码 (shōuqiánmǎ) - “Money-receiving code.” This is the merchant's QR code that customers scan to pay.