Beggars are now receiving alms through mobile money, Alipay, WeChat Wallet and others [Video]

Beggars have now evolved so much that they are now accepting donations through the use of Alipay, WeChat Wallet, or some other mobile payment apps.

According to odditycentral.com, beggars in Jinan, in the country’s Shandong province are the ones leading in the use of technology to boost their activities. The news portal reported that the beggars gather in areas popular with tourists, holding begging bowls that contain a QR code printout.

All the donor needs to do is to pick the printouts, scan the codes on them and begin the payment process.

Local media reports showed one of the beggars who was a man with mental problems and the family made the QR code for him to facilitate his begging activities.

What donors give the beggars apparently is not the only benefit they derive from the mobile begging. Digital marketing company China Channel is reported to have revealed that many beggars in Beijing receive payment from local businesses for every QR code scanned by passers-by.

Further reports say the “enterprises use these scans to collect people’s data from WeChat profiles, then sell the IDs for quite a pretty penny to small businesses. The latter use the information to bombard the users with unsolicited in-app advertisements.

“Each QR code scan pays between 0.7 and 1.5 yuan ($0.10 to $0.22). A 45-hour working week nets a monthly average of 4,536 yuan ($685), which is quite decent given what Chinese workers in minimum wage jobs get," according to odditycentral.com.

China is known to be the leading country in operating a cashless economy, so it is not too surprising that technology is being employed in almost every area of the economy.

Beggars now receiving alms through Alipay, WeChat Wallet and others

Beggars are now receiving alms through mobile money, Alipay, WeChat Wallet and others [Video]

Philanthropists may have all the wealth and want to donate to charity,

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