• The Cashless Society Has Arrived— Only It’s in China

    Mobile payments surge to $9 trillion a year, changing how people shop, borrow—even panhandle

    BEIJING—Soliciting handouts near a grocery store, Zhao Shenji, a slender man with shorn hair, made giving easy for Beijing residents accustomed to relying on their smartphones.

    “Recommend using WeChat Pay,” said a placard the beggar displayed.

    It was a literal sign of the times. Payment via mobile-phone services such as WeChat is sweeping...

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