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QR codes are so convenient PERIOOOOD |
I was watching episode 21 of the season 8 of Shark Tank, there was a startup called "Valued" trying to drive consumers back to brick and mortar shops when Chris Sacca said at 26.58 : "And then you show me the QR Codes. QR codes are at the herpes of mobile technology, it should be as simple as : "buy some stuff, get a ride" PERIOOOOD". While I agree that the app seemed really complex and would certainly struggle for user acquisition, I was really surprised with his affirmation regarding QR codes. Indeed I have been living for three years in China now and I think that have not spent a single day without scanning a QR code since then.
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>"QR codes are the herpes of mobile technology." #SharkTank pic.twitter.com/tzJRprmR5P
— Chris Sacca (@sacca) April 15, 2017
Taobao is the ecommerce giant in China with hundred of millions of users. Some will present it as the Chinese amazon or ebay but I think it is more like a craiglist with builtin payment and chat apps. When you try to login on taobao from the brower you can either use a password then receive an sms on your phone (2FA) or scan a QR code and confirm the login from your taobao mobile app. Alipay is the "Chinese paypal", when you checkout from Taobao, you can scan a QR code from your deskptop screen and pay with your PIN on your phone.
Wechat, if you do not know, is a messenger widely used in China. It can happen that like me you prefer to type from a keyboard and then would need to login on the desktop version of Wechat. There is only one solution : scan a QR code.
Dianping is an app I use at least once a week. They offer deals in restaurants near you. When you purchased your deal, you get a code that you need to give to the cashier for the payment. This code can be displayed as a QR code. Most of them will now have a special QR code reader connected to internet and directly mark your code as used.
When I was in Europe meeting new people, they would usually ask for my full name to add me on Facebook and keep in touch. Here in China we use Wechat for that. To me the most common ways to add somebody on wechat face to face is to spell my phone number (BORIIING) or to display my account QR code.
You can add my wechat there :
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Wechat is also a payment processor linked to your Chinese bank account. It can happen that somebody owes you money but you do not necessarily wants him as a contact. Then you can just generate a request payment QR code with or without amount and let the guy scan it and pay.
Now in metro station, there are new machines especailly to buy tcikets with mobile phones, guess what you have to scan QR codes! First you select the departing station and destination then it is either the machine scanning your generated-for-the-occasion QR code or you scan a QR on the machine.
Almost the same as the previous exept that I pay in the supermarket, the cashier as a special reader... or ask you to scan a QR code and then he is notified on his wechat that a payment has been made.
In the West, you see follow us on Facebook/ Twitter / Instagram with a full link or a @username. In China, it is very common to see QR code for each social networks, ususally Wechat or Weibo as the western ones are blocked.
In China, we do not have the Play Store preinstalled on Android phones which can be really annoying but a common way to download app is to scan a QR code on the company website. See on this website then hover on 下载APP on the right corner qnd you will see!
Still thinking QR codes have no use except stinging your eyes Chris??