QR Support – AliPay & WeChat Pay FAQs

Alipay and WeChat Pay

How long does it take for a refund to appear in a customer’s account?

The refund is immediate – it will appear in the customer’s Alipay or WeChat Pay account as soon as the refund has been processed.

What is the settlement cut off time?

For Alipay and WeChat Pay a trading day is based on Beijing time – either 4am or 5am in New Zealand depending on daylight savings. There is nothing your staff need to do to make settlement happen.

Where can I see my settlement totals for each day?

You can see these in our merchant portal. If you don’t already have a login for this, please email us at qrmarketing@smartpay.co.nz to have one set up for the main account holder.

You can’t see QR transactions on your Paymark End-of-Day settlement report on the terminal as these transactions are not processed through Paymark. Smartpay sends these transactions directly to Alipay or WeChat Pay for you. We are working on a QR report for daily transaction which can be printed off the terminal. It will show the day’s QR takings separately. As soon as this is available, we’ll let any QR customers know about this new feature.

Are there settlement delays during public holidays in China?

Yes, Alipay and WeChat Pay suspend their settlements during public holidays in China.

What marketing support does Smartpay offer for Alipay and WeChat Pay?

When you are approved for an Alipay Merchant ID your business will automatically appear in the ‘Discover’ section of the Alipay app. When you provide us content we will add to this basic listing in with photos and information to help attract customers. This content will be translated for you into Chinese. This will allow users to find your business and know that you accept Alipay. Think of it like when you go on google maps and it displays shops near your vicinity. You’ll get access to seasonal campaigns from Alipay & WeChat Pay – these are often in the form of rebates for customers using these payment methods and are part or fully funded by the apps. You can have your own coupons loaded in Alipay to drive foot traffic.

How will my customers know I accept Alipay or WeChat Pay?

We will provide you with signage for inside and outside your store. It’s important that these are displayed, not only in the shop but where Chinese customers can see when walking past as Alipay and WeChat have strong brand awareness. Chinese feel pride in seeing this brand and feel more welcome to enter stores accepting these payment methods.

What does it cost to accept QR payments?

There is no sign up for QR payments and no term commitment. You’ll pay a low Merchant Service Fee on each transaction. We settle you the full transaction value in NZ dollars and simply bill you for the Merchant Service Fee at the end of each month. If you don’t have any transactions in the month, there is nothing to pay.

Can QR payments be integrated with my Point of Sale system?

Yes. With Smartpay, QR payments can be integrated to your Point of Sale (POS). This would mean you don’t need to enter the purchase amount into the terminal which reduces errors, and end of day reconciliation is easy. Smartpay partners with the world’s best POS providers and we’re constantly working to add new integration for card and QR payments. If your POS vendor does not support QR payments let us know by sending an email to info@smartpay.co.nz with your business name and which POS you use and we’ll get in touch with your POS vendor to discuss integrating with Smartpay for QR payments.

What is the advantage of a dynamic QR code over a static QR code?

A dynamic QR code, which Smartpay’s solution uses, conveys the merchant information and the purchase amount. This means your customer just needs to accept the transaction in their app. This means you as the merchant are in control of the amount and the payment experience is quick. A static code however, just tells Alipay or WeChat Pay your merchant information and your customer then needs to enter the purchase amount. The merchant needs to carefully check the amount is correct. In China purchase limits have been introduced on static codes and there have been instances where merchant’s static codes have been replaced by ones linking to fraudsters accounts.

What happens if a customer asks for a refund?

You can perform a refund for a QR transaction up to the value of the original transaction within 90 days for WeChat Pay or for up to one year for Alipay. The customer will need to show you their original transaction receipt for you to get the refund code. You can view the user guides for Alipay & WeChat Pay payments for steps on how to process a refund. You can refund any amount up to the original transaction.

Watch this short video showing how to process a refund in standalone mode.

When do I get paid for transactions made through Alipay or WeChat Pay?

We’ll settle you two business days after the transaction is made.
Please note that public holidays include both New Zealand and Chinese public holidays. You can view all the Chinese public holidays here

How does currency conversion work? Will this affect how much I get?

Alipay and WeChat manages the currency conversion in their app. The currency conversion is locked in at the time of the transaction. Your customer is shown the New Zealand dollar amount, the conversion rate and the total Chinese RMB dollar value that they will be charged at the time of payment.

Smartpay settles you the full New Zealand dollar amount of the transaction so the currency conversion rate will not affect how much you will get settled.

How do I change my settlement account?

We’ll need one of the following items in order to link your Alipay and WeChat Pay transactions to a different bank account:

  • Bank Statement (Account name, Bank account number and address) or Account Confirmation
  • Void Cheque
  • Deposit Slip

Please note these must be in the same name as the legal entity we have approved for Alipay & WeChat Pay. Please email these to info@smartpay.co.nz along with your QR IDs (you’ll find these on your statements).

What shows on my bank statement to help me reconcile the settlement?

When we set you up for QR we’ll allocate each site within your business a QR Merchant ID. Each site or QR Merchant ID will be a separate credit into your bank account and the code in the transaction information will be this QR Merchant ID. You’ll also get a statement for each QR Merchant ID. We’re also planning to introduce an online portal for you to view transaction information.

Why do I need to provide ID for directors and shareholders over 25%?

Smartpay has obligations, from regulation (such as the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009) to verify that we have verified the identify of our customers. If you’re unsure what you need to provide, have a complicated structure or have an existing relationship with Smartpay, you can get in touch to discuss what identification is required for your situation.

Can I just accept Alipay? Or just accept WeChat Pay?

There’s no reason not to accept both as there is no extra cost. Plus accepting both gives you access to the marketing campaigns and opportunities for both Alipay and WeChat Pay. However, if you want to only accept one method please get in touch to discuss this.

Do I get a monthly statement?

Yes, you will get a statement at the end of the month with your total approved transactions for Alipay and WeChat Pay including the number and value of refunded transactions (if any). This will also be your invoice for the Merchant Service Fees. You will get one statement per site you have – talk to us about how you’d like to set this up.

Can Alipay and WeChat integrate with my online store?

Smartpay currently only offer in person payments however we are hoping to offer an online payment solution. Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates.

Alipay Red Packet Campaign FAQs

What are terms for the Alipay user?

Alipay users may scan the QR Code for more information on the online campaign page, including the campaign period and terms and conditions.

This campaign is only Chinese citizens who have verified their Alipay account using China ID and when using Alipay services outside China. Each Alipay user can receive a maximum of 5 coupons every 30 days from the beginning of the campaign period until the end of the campaign period. They can’t collect another coupon any already collected are used or expire. If the users request a refund, the coupon will NOT be refunded to them.

Why do some Alipay users fail to scan the Red Packet QR Code?

This campaign is only Chinese citizens who have verified their Alipay account using China ID. If they already have a valid Red Packet coupon in their wallet they can’t scan another. There is a limit to how many they can collect in each period of the campaign.

How do you differentiate the Red Packet/Coupon Alipay users receive from China and the one from overseas?

The customer can see these in the terms of their coupon.

Where and how can Alipay users use the Red Packet/Coupon?

The coupon will be deducted automatically upon any purchase amount exceeding the coupon amount. They can only split payment where they have a 2888RMB coupon.

How do Alipay users participate in the campaign?

Open Alipay App and scan the Red Packet QR Code to receive a coupon. The coupon is valid for 7 days after collection.

What is the Alipay Red Packet Campaign?

The Red Packet Campaign is designed to encourage Alipay users to spend overseas using Alipay for in-store payments. It is a one-year long campaign, with the current offer being for the Chinese summer period (15th July – 14th Sep 2018) (Beijing Time).

Does this affect what I get settled?

No, this campaign is entirely funded by Alipay. With Smartpay you’ll still be settled the full NZD dollar amount of the transaction. However, when redeeming a Red Packet coupon your customer simply has to pay the difference between the purchase amount and the coupon value.