No coins, no red faces: Apps change Chinese attitudes to splitting bills

Splitting the bill is a relatively new idea to most Chinese. It's being embraced by cash-strapped young people. This is how young Chinese "go Dutch" these days -- scan a QR code and pay their share via smart phones in one easy click or swipe. "It has made going Dutch less hassle and so much more fun," said Zhou Ye, a Beijing-based journalist. "Young people think splitting bills this way is fun, and older ones may find it fashionable to do so. Most importantly, it saves people the embarrassment of figuring out who owes what.

Massages, haircuts, manicures, pedicures, house cleaning, laundry services and personal trainers can be ordered in your own home with a swipe. Zhao Mengsha, 28, an editor with a bilingual arts magazine enjoys a manicure once every month, and pays half of the price charged in salons. She's also ordered a massage when she had to work overnight and the masseur came right to her office.

Vocabulary:
Cash-strapped