Shanghai has gone all-in on digital living — everyday tasks are managed through smartphones, especially with electronic payment options like Alipay and WeChat Pay. Most people haven’t used cash in ages, and if you do want to pay in cash, bring exact change since businesses may not have any on hand.

When dining out, it’s common to order by scanning a QR code found at the corner of the table. That pulls up the full menu linked to your table number — you can place orders, calculate the bill, and often pay directly through the same system. So if you’re a tourist without WeChat or Alipay, ordering can get pretty inconvenient.