Electronic credentials matter of substance

ON TUESDAY, domestic e-commerce giant Alipay announced it had introduced a new service allowing married couples to get electronic versions of their marriage certificates. China Daily writer Zhang Zhouxiang comments:

There are many circumstances when a marriage certificate is needed, such as when a couple is applying for a loan, purchasing or selling property, property inheritance, as well as registering a child for school.

This has meant providing the paper marriage certificate. Anybody who has ever gone through such administrative procedures knows how easy it is to forget the certificate. Besides, the paper certificate can get damaged over time, which brings more inconveniences because its holder might have to apply for a new one.