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A foreigner's guide to WeChat payments in China

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Re: A foreigner's guide to WeChat payments in China

#41

Post by gjs278 »

taberiand wrote: post #37
reaperducer wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, first, it'd probably be a phone-primary payment world, not a phone-only payment world That's just moving the goalposts. The whole point of the original post was that moving to a phone-only payment world is a bad thing, and that's what is happening in some places (China is only one). I see no scenarios where my risk exposure is significant in a phone loss or breakage scenario. Then I submit that you lack imagina…

You hail the cab and ask them to take you to a phone store, then keep the meter running until you get a new phone. If you're that totally helpless in a foreign country without your phone, you probably should go with a friend or local.

they will not do that for you

Re: A foreigner's guide to WeChat payments in China

#43

Post by andrewvc »

taberiand wrote: post #37
reaperducer wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, first, it'd probably be a phone-primary payment world, not a phone-only payment world That's just moving the goalposts. The whole point of the original post was that moving to a phone-only payment world is a bad thing, and that's what is happening in some places (China is only one). I see no scenarios where my risk exposure is significant in a phone loss or breakage scenario. Then I submit that you lack imagina…

You hail the cab and ask them to take you to a phone store, then keep the meter running until you get a new phone. If you're that totally helpless in a foreign country without your phone, you probably should go with a friend or local.

You're ignoring the question. It's not about ability, it's about failure mode.

I like keys / phone / wallet because you can lose 2/3 of those things and still be fine in you home city.

Lose your phone/wallet? Call a cab, go home, get a backup CC or cash. Lose your keys/phone? You can buy/borrow a phone / call a locksmith. Worst case you can book a hotel with your wallet.

Etc.

Phone only..... you lose it, what do you do? Keyless locks with codes do offer part of a solution here.

Maybe the right answer in the future will just be to have two phones. Probably a fancy primary and a cheap backup.

Re: A foreigner's guide to WeChat payments in China

#45

Post by reaperducer »

taberiand wrote: post #37
reaperducer wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, first, it'd probably be a phone-primary payment world, not a phone-only payment world That's just moving the goalposts. The whole point of the original post was that moving to a phone-only payment world is a bad thing, and that's what is happening in some places (China is only one). I see no scenarios where my risk exposure is significant in a phone loss or breakage scenario. Then I submit that you lack imagina…

You hail the cab and ask them to take you to a phone store, then keep the meter running until you get a new phone. If you're that totally helpless in a foreign country without your phone, you probably should go with a friend or local.

You hail the cab and ask them

As noted above, you don't speak the language and both your foreign translation app and dictionary are in your now gone phone.

then keep the meter running until you get a new phone

That was funny. Thanks for that one.

If you're that totally helpless in a foreign country without your phone, you probably should go with a friend or local.

It's not the person who is helpless. It's being forced to rely on a single point of failure (the phone) that makes people helpless.

Also, there are literally millions solo travelers in the world. Telling someone they cannot travel unaccompanied makes no sense. The whole point of the map apps, the translation apps, the recommendation apps, etc... is to allow people to accomplish things without others.

Re: A foreigner's guide to WeChat payments in China

#46

Post by reaperducer »

taude wrote: post #33
reaperducer wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lost my phone. Bought a cheap Huawei But the problem in a phone-only payment world is when you lose your phone, how do you buy the cheap temporary replacement? You literally have nothing to pay for it with.

What happens if you lost your debit card in an older, cash only society?

What happens if you lost your debit card in an older, cash only society?

If it's a cash-only society, then the debit card wouldn't be useful anyway. Only cash would be useful in a cash-only society.

Re: A foreigner's guide to WeChat payments in China

#47

Post by kevin_thibedeau »

reaperducer wrote: post #13

I was getting funny looks from taxi drivers and waitresses, all of whom were disappointed that another primitive foreigner was forcing them to use cash. I simply don't like the thought that if I forget my phone, get my phone taken from me, drop my phone and it breaks, or run out of battery that I'll be stranded somewhere and unable to buy food, check in to a hotel, or even get home. Societies should move toward more…

It will take a persistent wartime DoS attack to fix that behavior.

Re: A foreigner's guide to WeChat payments in China

#48

Post by markdown »

taberiand wrote: post #37
reaperducer wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, first, it'd probably be a phone-primary payment world, not a phone-only payment world That's just moving the goalposts. The whole point of the original post was that moving to a phone-only payment world is a bad thing, and that's what is happening in some places (China is only one). I see no scenarios where my risk exposure is significant in a phone loss or breakage scenario. Then I submit that you lack imagina…

You hail the cab and ask them to take you to a phone store, then keep the meter running until you get a new phone. If you're that totally helpless in a foreign country without your phone, you probably should go with a friend or local.

What use is going to a phone store when you don't have any means of paying for a phone? Further, in many countries you can't buy a sim card without ID so if your ID was stored on your phone, you're screwed there too.

Re: A foreigner's guide to WeChat payments in China

#49

Post by taberiand »

reaperducer wrote: post #45
taberiand wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You hail the cab and ask them to take you to a phone store, then keep the meter running until you get a new phone. If you're that totally helpless in a foreign country without your phone, you probably should go with a friend or local.

You hail the cab and ask them As noted above, you don't speak the language and both your foreign translation app and dictionary are in your now gone phone. then keep the meter running until you get a new phone That was funny. Thanks for that one. If you're that totally helpless in a foreign country without your phone, you probably should go with a friend or local. It's not the person who is helpless. It's being force…

Sorry, do you travel? At the end of the day, the phone isn't a single point of failure because the fail safe is just talking to people (I.e, the single point of failure is you, the traveler)

Your scenario is contrived. Imagine a mystical time before phones - maybe it was your pocket translation dictionary that fell down the grate? You're out of luck in much the same way - unless you just go back inside and talk to the restaurant and have them send a cab, or call the hotel, or find someone on the street to help you out.

Re: A foreigner's guide to WeChat payments in China

#50

Post by taberiand »

markdown wrote: post #48
taberiand wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You hail the cab and ask them to take you to a phone store, then keep the meter running until you get a new phone. If you're that totally helpless in a foreign country without your phone, you probably should go with a friend or local.

What use is going to a phone store when you don't have any means of paying for a phone? Further, in many countries you can't buy a sim card without ID so if your ID was stored on your phone, you're screwed there too.

I made this point separately, but you can use the phone you're buying to pay for itself, just log into WeChat on it while in the shop.

I hope you're carrying your passport in a foreign country.

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