IT Times reporter Sun Yan
On July 8, Alipay announced the upgrade of barcode payment and launched the "Alipay Touch", users do not need to display the payment code, and touch the merchant's payment device after unlocking the mobile phone, and complete the payment in one step at the earliest.
"Do you sweep me, or do I sweep you?" Even though this has become a mandatory Chinese for foreigners to travel to China, it shows the coverage of mobile payment in China, but can mobile payment be simpler? Can I pay when I make a phone call? Can the game pay if it is playing hard?
Simpler than "scanning" Mobile payment has changed in 13 years
Compared with the existing Alipay "sweep", "touch" is simpler. Originally, users need to click on the payment code after entering the Alipay App, and the steps are divided into 3 steps. Now it only takes 1 step to use "Touch".
The reporter of "IT Times" tried to use "touch" payment in merchants such as BESTORE, Nai Xue's tea, and Hollyland, without opening the Alipay App, just touch the merchant's collection device when the mobile phone is unlocked, and confirm the payment if the small amount password-free payment has been opened. The whole process only takes a few seconds, and it doesn't affect the phone calls or playing games.
Most consumers are concerned about safety, and they will ask: "If someone picks up my phone, can they also 'touch' my phone and spend money?" After trying to "touch" with someone else's mobile phone, the "IT Times" reporter found that if the screen is not unlocked, whether it is an Android or an Apple phone, "touching" cannot complete the payment.
According to reports, "touch" and "scan" both belong to barcode payment. The difference is that "Scan" uses the display and camera on the mobile phone, and "Touch" uses the NFC technology on the mobile phone, and after the interaction is completed with the above sensors, the payment is completed on the network side, and both have the same security. As for the problem of fraud that consumers are worried about, Alipay promises that "if you dare to pay, I will dare to pay".
At present, there are 900 million Android users and 200 million Apple users among domestic mobile phone users, and Alipay "touches" supports Android, iOS and HarmonyOS systems at the same time. Bank cards, balances, Yue Bao, Huabei, small purses, etc. all support "touch".
In July 2011, Alipay launched the first barcode payment, which is the predecessor of QR code payment, "one-dimensional code", which had to rely on merchant code scanners to pay. The barcode was then upgraded to a QR code, and now "scanning" has become the most daily payment method for Chinese.
In December 2018, Alipay launched face payment, and you don't need to bring a mobile phone for shopping.
Thirteen years later, China's mobile payment user coverage rate has reached 86%, ranking first in the world. After many years of unchanged mobile payment methods, Alipay once again launched "Touch", which is expected to promote NFC near-field payment to a wider user group.
"One touch three in a row" One touch is the member price
Users only need to "touch", cashiers do not need to take out the code scanning gun, how much can Alipay "touch" improve the efficiency of merchants?
New users can complete the membership in 3 seconds at the earliest, and members can enjoy the membership price and points by "touching", which solves the "impossible triangle" of merchants at the same time cashier, new customers and private domain marketing, and realizes "one touch and three links". According to the calculations of the first batch of cooperative merchants, "Alipay Touch" effectively improves the efficiency of brand operation by 10%-40%.
"Less than two weeks after the store went live, member transaction orders surged by 38%." Cao Shiru, general manager of Hongqi chain, said that Alipay's "touch" is more convenient in terms of payment function, and the process is more simplified, making it easier for convenience store members to register and log in, and the average time for each new member in the store to attract new members has been shortened from nearly 1 minute to 3 seconds.
As for the compatibility of cash register equipment, Alipay's "Touch" adapts to multi-format cash register scenarios, both desktop and handheld; Adapt to a variety of merchant cash register systems, plug and play; Adapt to a variety of payment interaction methods, "scan" and "touch" are OK; Adapt to a variety of mobile phone systems, Android and Apple mobile phones; Compatible with payment platforms other than Alipay, etc.
At present, more than 2,300 brands and merchants in 6 cities including Shanghai, Chengdu, Wuhan, Changsha, Hangzhou, and Fuzhou have successively accessed Alipay to "touch it", such as Hongqi, Meiyijia, 7-11, Shizu, Yike, BESTORE and other convenience stores, Shanghai Jing'an Joy City, Chengdu Mixc, Longfor Hangzhou Binjiang Tianjie, Wuhan Aeon Mall, Changsha Guojin Street, Fuzhou Yantai Mountain Commercial Walking Street and other shopping malls and blocks, as well as Mr. Rice, Paris Baguette, Xianfeng Fruit, Yiming Real Fresh Milk Bar, F&B brands such as Tous Les Jours already support "Touch".
According to the data of the first batch of trial merchants, 61% of young people will use it again after using it once, and for the elderly group, they value the convenience of payment more.
BESTORE is Alipay's first batch of "Touch" cooperative brands, with more than 100 cooperative stores in the first wave, mainly concentrated in Shanghai, Wuhan and other cities. "There is a store in Shanghai that has about 150 'touch' payments a day, and it is now easier for young people to accept new things." Zhong Tian, head of public relations and communication of BESTORE, told the IT Times reporter that after the user uses the "touch" payment, we can push the preferential activities to the user based on the user's consumption habits and portraits in the later stage.