Beggars in eastern China have improved their takings by accepting donations via mobile phone.

 

中国东部地区一些乞讨者的收入有所增加，因为他们接受手机支付的捐款。
 

 

Pictures of a beggar with a printout of a QR code -- a type of barcode -- round his neck in Jinan, Shandong province, have raised eyebrows¹ after appearing on social media. The man is among several beggars accepting cash-free payments in the city. He is said to have a mental illness and was given the QR code by his family.

 

In China's increasingly cashless society, the code allows passers-by to donate by scanning the code with their phone. Beijing News said: "A beggar armed with a smartphone and adept² in operating his or her account is probably not a person that is really in need. Technology is supposed to make life and work easier, but should never become a means for those who want to thrive without making any contribution to the world."

 

It urged people to "boycott³ these professional beggars" and said that the police should prevent them from harrassing others.

 

As many as 60 percent of China's 700 million internet users make payments via their phone, using Wechat, which is owned by Tencent, or its rival Alipay, owned by Alibaba. Wechat users need only to have a mobile phone number to register and accept payments, which can be linked to a bank account or used to spend directly from the phone.

 

Some social media users praised the beggar. "Even beggars are keeping up with the times. There is no excuse for ordinary people like us," one wrote on Weibo. Others were less kind. "I wouldn't give a penny to him," one wrote. "He's capable of working and walking, not to mention using a smartphone."

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