On January 2nd, Alipay, a popular third-party mobile payment platform in China, released the 2017 total national bill report,  showing that for the 520 million Alipay users in China, eighty-two-percent of all their payments were via mobile devices. Mobile payments in southwest China's Tibet accounted for 90% of total payments, ranking 7th in the country.

As mobile payments are made available in more areas of life, many people choose to leave their wallets at home. In Lhasa, capital city of Tibet, numerous stores display the "scan and pay" signs. Drolkar, a Lhasa resident, said, "It's  much more convenient in this way. I don't need cash to go out anymore." 

The report said, for people in Tibet, the top three applications via Alipay are to see the vehicle violation record, to pay charges and to search for public transportation. 

It also said, in 2017, the favorite tourism destinations for people in Tibet were Thailand, Japan, and China's Hong Kong, with a 133% growth in numbers since 2016, and a 198% growth in overseas transaction.

Mobile payment brings more than convenience to people, they also impact social life in positive ways. First, mobile payments help accumulate credit, which enables more people to enjoy credit lending, insurance, and other financial services. In addition, mobile payments also help reduce carbon emissions by offering online payments for utility bills, commuting expenses, and more. As of the end of 2017, the 280 millon Alipay users helped reduce carbon emissions by 2.05 million tons.

Editor: Ana Wu