Transacting in China is a joy, with the all-pervasive QR code and anywhere delivery

According to the 40th China Statistical Report on Internet Development, 724 million Chinese people use mobile phones to go online. Perhaps more so than any other country, China’s internet is perfectly optimised to fit in the palm of your hand, in terms of app functionality, integration with the offline world and the sheer variety and scale of possibilities. A large part of this potential is led by the QR code. China is witnessing the dawn of a “codeconomy”, said consumer behaviour researcher Chen Yiwen in a South China Morning Post article. Paying for meals by scanning codes is common, but that’s also how you unlock and use a Mobike or an Ofo shared bicycle. If I want to join one of the thousands of WeChat groups — dedicated to everything from hobbies and apartment rentals, to selling second-hand items and requesting specific GIFs a member sends.