Modern city embraces new e-payment platforms

Having no cash or forgetting your credit card is no longer a source of embarrassment in Hangzhou, which is fast building up a reputation as a smart city with a plethora of new ways to settle a bill.

Nationally, online and mobile payments already go well beyond shopping, covering fields from transportation to dining and travel, tourism and finance. Mobile payment options are present in all aspects of daily life, accounting for as much as 65 percent of total online payments.

The trend is even more apparent and popular in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, which is home to a number of leading internet companies, including Alibaba.