Nowadays, most people basically don't carry cash on their heads when they go out, and they only need a mobile phone to do everything.
But such a phenomenon is rare in Hong Kong, which is a shopping paradise, and most Hong Kong people would rather carry cash when they go out than pay with WeChat and Alipay.
So, why are Hong Kong people reluctant to pay with their mobile phones when they go out?
Main source: Hong Kong people's mobile phone payment accounts for only 20% Far behind the mainland - People's Daily Online
Hong Kong people go out with cash
In most people's minds, Hong Kong has always been a shopping paradise, and some mainlanders will even go to Hong Kong specifically to buy things.
But it will soon be discovered that most Hong Kong people pay in cash when they go out, and few people use WeChat or Alipay.
You must know that WeChat and Alipay can be said to be inseparable from everyone, and they have become an indispensable thing in people's daily life.
However, this is not the case in Hong Kong, because due to some historical reasons, Hong Kong has been influenced by Western culture, and is more international in terms of social software.
So the first ones they accepted were WhatsApp and Facebook, two social tools that have reached many people in Hong Kong, whether they are the elderly or children, they are deeply loved by people.
When WeChat and Alipay in China appeared relatively late, when WeChat evolved its payment function and wanted to encroach on the Hong Kong market, it was found that there were already other payment methods.
This is Hong Kong's Octopus in Hong Kong, and this system has been in operation since 1997 and covers almost all corners of Hong Kong.
So WeChat and Alipay have nowhere to start, Alipay is slightly better, there is a Hong Kong version of Alipay, WeChat is completely unable to enter Hong Kong.
And many Hong Kong people still prefer cash, because in their opinion, it is safer to pay with cash when going out, and online payment sometimes needs to be bound to a bank card, if it is stolen, it is really worth the loss.
In addition to these reasons, Hong Kongers rarely shop online.
Very little online shopping
Hong Kong is known as a shopping paradise where you can buy all kinds of things, so Hong Kong people rarely buy things online.
What they need only needs to go to the street or shopping mall to buy directly, which is incomparable to mainlanders, and now most mainlanders should be inseparable from online shopping.
It is because Hong Kong people do not have the habit of online shopping, so WeChat and Alipay are basically useless, and Hong Kong people's mobile phones are used for daily communication and photography.
Because most Hong Kong people have time, they will invite relatives and friends to go to the street to buy things in person, and shop in offline stores in person, so that they can make better choices.
Moreover, offline shopping can also bring a lot of happiness, which can be regarded as a pastime, which can further increase the friendship between people.
Therefore, Hong Kong people still prefer to go to offline stores compared to online shopping, because they can't go far to buy what they want.
Sometimes the things you want to buy may be right on your doorstep, and since you can buy them right out of the house, there's no need to shop online.
If you don't shop online, you don't need to pay online, so you don't need to use WeChat and Alipay at all.
However, some people in Hong Kong have started to use online payment, and some regions have begun to promote online payment, and they have also achieved good results.
In addition to these, there is another reason why Hong Kong people are reluctant to pay online.
Security issues
Now WeChat and Alipay are the most worrying about online payments, because technology is becoming more and more developed, and the technology of bad guys is also advanced.
Many people are worried about the loss of the money they put in their mobile phones, which is also a concern for Hong Kong people, because most online payments need to be bound to bank cards.
This step is not difficult for young people, but for some older people, there is a big problem, because some scammers also prefer to target the elderly.
In case you are targeted by the bad guys, the money in the mobile phone payment will not be cheated directly, and it may be carried out unknowingly.
Moreover, online payment also requires identity verification, and the money can be retrieved if it is lost, and the fear is that someone will steal identity information to do something bad.
Therefore, most Hong Kong people will be reluctant to use online payment, or cash is safer in hand, although the mainland is now very perfect in terms of security, but there are still many Hong Kong people who are unwilling to use it.
In addition to security issues, Hong Kong people still use the local Octopus to make payments, which covers all aspects of life, which is equivalent to a bank card.
But Octopus can buy groceries, shop, and even pay utility bills, all with just one card, covering all aspects of life.
Therefore, most Hong Kong people are reluctant to use WeChat or Alipay because they have their own payment methods.
The habits of each place are different, and Hong Kong people already have their own living habits, as long as they are comfortable with them, and they are not forced to use WeChat or Alipay.
This is also related to the special payment habits of Hong Kong people and the economic development model, no matter what method is used to pay, as long as they are comfortable with it.
It's normal to have these differences, different lifestyle habits and ways of looking at things, maybe mobile payment methods are not gaining trust right now, but I believe that if they are done well, sooner or later more people will choose.
Hong Kong has developed different living habits due to some historical reasons, as long as they are comfortable with it, in fact, there are still people in the mainland who insist on using cash, these are small personal habits.
However, I still hope that in the future, Hong Kong can see the advantages of the development of online payment mode under the premise of combining its own needs, and apply online payment mode to its daily life.
In this way, it can promote economic and trade exchanges between itself and the mainland, and at the same time, it can gradually adapt to the mainland's economic development model.