身份證號

[Wahed]

Do foreigners have this or can get this? As far as I can tell (Baidu search), we don't but then how do we utilize services that require this to register such as some of the bicycle sharing programs? Is there an equivalent?

[abcdefg]

Use your passport number. 

[vellocet]

Hahaha.   You don't.  When it says 输入身份证号码 you're screwed.  If has an option for 护照 then it's all good, otherwise you can forget about using whatever service you're trying to register for.  

 

I used to use an app that would generate numbers that would pass the checksum and that's how I used to get around it.  But today everything's all linked together. 

 

It does seem the major apps have the option for a passport number.  I read on one of those Wechat subscription accounts that Beijing will soon introduce a foreigners ID card so that we can have a number to register in these things.  It's about damn time.  Japan had gaijin cards forever.  Those things were useful.  Here we're supposed to carry around our passports on our person 24/7?  

[Wahed]

@vellocet That's what I was afraid of. I tried the passport number and it doesn't work, even if I use lead zeros.

 

I hope they introduce the foreigner cards soon because there are never any Zhifubao bikes near my building after night fall. It would be so much more convenient to be able to use the other bike services. Oh well.

 

I had to look up what you meant when you typed "gajin cards" as I'd never heard the term before. But I only lived in Japan for three months, so I just missed the requirement for this card. But I was never limited in doing anything in Japan so maybe it's a different system.

[889]

You should be able to register for Mobike with your passport. Try the WeChat mini-app.

[mungouk]

CN to Roll Out Real-Time Passport Authentication for Foreigners

 

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/_WNNtAqECYJC7h3Mm3QoQA

 

1 hour ago, 889 said:

You should be able to register for Mobike with your passport. Try the WeChat mini-app.

 

I registered using the standalone Mobike app when I arrived in May this year, even using a foreign credit card, but they've since revoked that ability.  @Wahed I presume you're getting a Chinese bank account so you should be OK once you have it.  (Until you do it's a big inconvenience.)

 

I was never asked for passport at that time, but more apps that require payments seem to be requiring "real name authentication".

 

[DavyJonesLocker]

I used mobilke yesterday with the wechsr mini app. Worked a treat . I have a Chinese bank account

No need for a deposit either! 

So many new bike sharing schemes now that I'm out of touch . 

I think with wechatand alipay set up you have most covered.

 

[Wahed]

@DavyJonesLocker  Here in Nanjing that is not the case. I also have a Chinese bank account and Wechat/Alipay setup. Many bike services are not able to be used without this ID number. I tried at least three different bike companies and was refused each time.

[DavyJonesLocker]

26 minutes ago, Wahed said:

Here in Nanjing that is not the case. I also have a Chinese bank account and Wechat/Alipay setup

 

And you have wechat pay set up too?

I forgot the procedure but as far as I can remember you had to take a photo of yourself and your passport next to your face then upload it to the mobike app. 

 

I'm already registered so can't check but is there no facility on the apps for selecting a 护照 option?

 

That was a while ago though. I have a feeling that was the same with OFO / 小黄车 

 

[Wahed]

57 minutes ago, DavyJonesLocker said:

And you have wechat pay set up too?

Yes.

 

57 minutes ago, DavyJonesLocker said:

I'm already registered so can't check but is there no facility on the apps for selecting a 护照 option?

 

Unfortunately, no.

 

I just tried again this morning for Mobike and as I thought it doesn’t work. The turquoise bikes, red bikes and yellow bikes also don’t work. So, the total is four so far that require the ID number. There is a reason why the government is trying to include foreigners in this scheme, more revenue.

[DavyJonesLocker]

That's a shame, seems to be a step backwards! 

 

[abcdefg]

3 hours ago, DavyJonesLocker said:

but as far as I can remember you had to take a photo of yourself and your passport next to your face then upload it to the mobike app. 

 

That's the way I did it for a couple of them. (But it was over a year ago. Things like this change fast.)

[889]

But did you use the Mobike mini-app that's inside WeChat, not the standalone app? You may have to look for the passport option or click a box to show more options, but it was there a few months ago.

[mungouk]

7 hours ago, abcdefg said:

That's the way I did it for a couple of them. (But it was over a year ago. Things like this change fast.)

 

I also did the real-name authentication like that for WeChat and AliPay in May of this year.

 

 

[Wahed]

1 hour ago, 889 said:

But did you use the Mobike mini-app that's inside WeChat, not the standalone app?

I just tried to access this mini-app you mentioned and it immediately brought up the registration issue. There is a Wechat connection option however it does not work if what you used to register with Wechat isn't a Chinese ID number. In other words, it doesn't work.

[889]

All I can suggest further is that you contact customerservice@mobike.com. When I had problems uploading my passport photo, there seemed to be a real person replying, though these days who knows for sure. Anyway, you should get a response of some sort. Writing in Chinese is of course best, and good practice.

[ChTTay]

You have the English app for Mobike? They design it for foreigners to use so it, of course, accepts passports. Sounds like it’s a different issue. 889’s advice sounds good, contact then. You should definitely be able to use it. 

[vellocet]

Is your phone set to Chinese mode, or is Wechat set to Chinese?  That could be why it's not offering passport mode.  

[Wahed]

15 hours ago, ChTTay said:

You have the English app for Mobike? They design it for foreigners to use so it, of course, accepts passports. Sounds like it’s a different issue. 889’s advice sounds good, contact then. You should definitely be able to use it. 

 

14 hours ago, vellocet said:

Is your phone set to Chinese mode, or is Wechat set to Chinese?

The language settings for my phone is Chinese.

 

If passport mode only works for users with the English interface then I guess I won't bother with Mobike.

[889]

Although I have a Chinese phone and downloaded WeChat in China, it nonetheless shows the major pages in English. Not sure why, maybe because English is set as the default language on my phone. Not sure why this is such a big deal, either. Seriously, if you want to get by in China you have to be flexible.