A bit tangential, but something fantastic it mentions is electronic payment. In China it&#x27;s already like living in the future. Most shops accept WeChat or Alipay. Everything from chain supermarkets down to the old lady selling vegetables on the side of the road. They&#x27;ve really penetrated the market from top to bottom.<p>If you find a shop that does require cash, you can stop a stranger in the street and trade cash for WeChat money. Or as the article said, the shop staff themselves can sell you cash using their personal accounts.<p>I&#x27;m sure these services have to deal with their share of fraud but the system is fundamentally more secure than credit cards which rely on trust. So there&#x27;s the potential for lower costs and wider availability. Who needs the expense of PCI compliance when you never have access to your customer&#x27;s payment credentials? It seems bizarre to think that in paying by credit card, you&#x27;re effectively giving the merchant the username and password to your bank account and asking them to please not take any more money than they promised to.