The new function of E-CNY payment without network or electricity was launched, which attracted attention. Some Android mobile phone users found that the payment without network and power function entry was added in the payment settings of the E-CNY app hard wallet.

E-CNY payment can still be used for payment when the mobile phone has no network or even power off. The reporter had an experience, put the phone that had been turned off close to the POS machine that supported this function, and immediately completed the payment. The whole payment process was very smooth.

The staff introduced that the full name of the E-CNY payment without network and power is the payment without network and power at the E-CNY mobile terminal. When the mobile phone is turned off, consumers can still use the mobile phone to “touch” the payment terminal to complete the payment. To use this function, consumers only need to open the no-power payment function in the E-CNY application, and set the number of times and amount of payments that can be made after shutdown.

The new function of E-CNY can be used in some scenarios, and will be expanded to more scenarios in the future. Qi Mohan, from the E-CNY Team of ICBC Beijing Branch, told the reporter that POS machines with NFC function that can accept E-CNY support the payment without network or electricity, and only need to upgrade the software. Such POS machines have been installed in some supermarkets, bookstores, self-service sales terminals and other scenarios. With the development of E-CNY, there will be more scenarios in the future to support E-CNY payment without network or electricity.

Last year, People’s Bank of China announced this new function. On Oct. 12, 2022, it was proposed in the article “Solid Implementation of E-CNY Research and Development Pilot Work” published on the official WeChat official account of People’s Bank of China that a variety of forms of hardware wallets will be launched to explore the product capability of software and hardware integration, and corresponding functions will be developed for extreme scenarios such as no network and no electricity.

Industry experts are convinced that E-CNY is the legal tender in digital form and the digital cash, which should reflect the convenience of cash payment. The function of payment without network and power can solve the pain point that users cannot pay when their mobile phones are powered off, and they do not carry physical cash with them in case of emergency, so as to ensure that users can continue to use the E-CNY payment service in extreme cases. Although it is a minority scenario that the mobile phone needs to pay when it is out of power, taking this situation into account as the legal currency of the E-CNY also reflects people’s nature of E-CNY.

Some models such as Xiaomi and VIVO can support the new function of E-CNY, and this function will be opened to more models and scenarios in an orderly manner in the future.

For users, security is the first consideration before using this function. Some netizens worry that if this function is enabled, what will happen if the mobile phone is lost? Can I spend my mobile phone freely when others find it?

In fact, consumers need not worry too much. The staff introduced that the relevant settings of E-CNY can ensure the security of funds. Consumers can set the number of times they can pay and the limit of the password-free limit for the no-power payment function of their mobile phones. In case of no electricity payment, if the transaction amount exceeds the password-free limit, the user needs to enter the payment password on the acceptance device, and the transaction can only be carried out after the background system passes the verification. Similarly, if the number of payments exceeds the limit when there is no electricity, the transaction cannot be carried out. In case of mobile phone loss, consumers can log in to the E-CNY app on another mobile phone and immediately turn off the function of payment without network or electricity, which can prevent capital loss.