Utility Bills in Shanghai

As with elsewhere, once you have rented your apartment, you will have to deal with utility bills if they are not already included in the rent.

In Shanghai, bills are sent to your mailbox every month. Automatic bank transfers are possible, but the most common way to pay is by cash in one of the following locations:

• Almost any convenience store
• Post offices
• Banks
• Utility companies

However, in the past few years, another way to pay bills has emerged with the rapid development of online payment solutions such as Alipay of Wechat Wallet. After registering your customer number for each utility in the app, you will see the bills directly coming to your phone. Here is a guide to paying your utilities on Wechat. Alipay works exactly the same way:

1. Choose the company that provides you with electricity, water or gas as there are several.

2. Enter your customer number.

3. Press the payment button.

Make sure you pay your bills on time or you may have to go directly to the utility company to settle your payment.