Diagnose your payment issue

What's happening

You're probably showing a personal collection QR (for receiving money) instead of a payment QR. On Alipay, 'Receive' generates a code that lets others pay you — it does NOT let you pay a merchant. To pay, you must scan the merchant's code.

Steps to fix it

1. 1To pay a merchant, you scan THEM — open Alipay → tap 'Scan' at the top → point at the merchant's QR code.
2. 2In WeChat, tap the '+' top-right → 'Scan' → point at the merchant's code.
3. 3Only show your own QR when a person is transferring money TO you (friends, reimbursements). Merchagers never scan customers in normal retail.
4. 4If the merchant insists you show your code (rare, usually at small stalls), they may be using a personal code — tap 'Show Payment QR' in Alipay, not 'Receive Money'.
5. 5Confirm the amount on your screen before entering your payment PIN.