A financial institution employee teaches an overseas student of the Nantong Vocational University how to make a mobile payment. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Multiple financial institutions in Nantong, including a branch of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), recently impressed the overseas students at the Nantong Vocational University with Chinese payment solutions.

The promotional activity at the Nantong university successfully familiarized the overseas students with online payment, preparing them enjoy the upcoming Spring Festival holiday, noted Tao Xinyang, a PBOC representative.

Students at the promotional activity at the Nantong Vocational University. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Three students from Southeast Asian countries, whose Chinese names are Li Make, Ning Liangli, and Deng Huaiying, lauded the convenience of making payments.

Deng, who is from Vietnam, made full preparations for mobile payments and even transferred money to her newly-opened Alipay account before boarding her flight to China. The moment she arrived in Nantong, Deng could not wait to experience making her first mobile payment.

Bilingual posters for mobile payments at Nantong Vocational University. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

After the pandemic, many expats encountered a common challenge in China – cash payments had nearly disappeared from daily life. From the moment they walked out of the airport, they found it hard to move a step using cash, as almost all payments had shifted online.

In July 2023, WeChat Pay and Alipay, the two leading Chinese online payment platforms, announced their online payment services had been made available to international users by linking their bank cards to the two apps.