By contrast, payment with Alipay or WeChat is much more streamlined and requires only the scan of a QR code from a retailer's point-of-service terminal or a smartphone.

If you choose Alipay for payment, the page will skip to the official page of Alipay, where you can select to pay by mobilephone or by accessing your account.

For example, before Alipay, if a Chinese consumer wanted to pay a utility bill, they would have to wait in line at a bank. With Alipay, they can pay the bills using their mobile phone.