The New and Easy Way to Make a Payment on Taobao

**Well City Weekenders, we've got good news and bad news for you. The good news is that we've discovered a super easy way to make a payment on Taobao. The bad news is that all of your savings are about to disappear. We were gutted when Taobao took away the bianlitong payment method off the website. We tried all other forms of payment methods and even ended up [setting up online banking](http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/shanghai/articles/blogs-shanghai/expat-affairs/updated-how-to-make-a-payment-on-taobao/), which wasn't that difficult to do. But let's face it - none of you were going to run out there and do the same thing. So we are happy to introduce you to the 拉卡拉 [lakala](http://lakala.com/) payment method. So what is it and how do we use it? Read on, my friends ...** Bye bye online banking, hello 拉卡拉 lakala
One of our lovely friends, Melissa Brzycki, gave us this hot tip about the 拉卡拉 lakala system. So a big thank you to her! The 拉卡拉 lakala machines can be found in a variety of convenience stores around Shanghai (mostly at 7-ELEVEN, All-Days and Kedi). They look exactly like POS machines that you'll find at the counter of a shop. Check out the photo further down. The machines are mostly used to pay household bills, but they have just opened them up to Taobao payments. It's easy and quick. Here are the steps. A few things to remember:
- You need to carry out all payment transactions using Internet Explorer; it won't work on Firefox or Chrome.
- We are not liable for any financial loss you may face after becoming addicted to buying stuff on Taobao
Making a payment
The first couple of steps on Taobao are still the same. If you've never explored Taobao, you obviously haven't been to our website before. Check out [how to setup an account](http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/shanghai/articles/blogs-shanghai/expat-affairs/taobao-101-creating-an-account/), [how to search the website](http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/shanghai/articles/blogs-shanghai/expat-affairs/taobao-101-searching-and-selecting-an-item/) and [how to select the address and delivery method](http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/shanghai/articles/blogs-shanghai/expat-affairs/taobao-101-selecting-address-and-delivery/) to get clued up. Once you've found what you want to buy, input your address details and move on to select a payment method. You'll come to a page that looks something like this:
You will notice that the page has four tabs. On each tab is a different payment method. You want to hit the third tab.

------ The first option on the third tab is the 拉卡拉 lakala. Select it and hit the orange button.

------ You'll be taken to the page above showing your a summary of your purchase. Hit the highlighted blue text to enter your phone number.

------ Enter your phone number here. Within 60 seconds, you'll be sent a message containing your transaction number (交易号) and payment amount (交易金额). Which means that you don't even have to write anything down.

------ Then you go to a convenience store and use one of the 拉卡拉 machines. Everything is still in Chinese, but it's easy.

------ You press "3" for the third option (pay for a Taobao purchase).

------- Then hit "1". Then you need to press the red confirm (确认) button.

------- Then you should be at a screen where you can enter a number, your transaction number (交易号.) After you enter it, press the red confirm button.

-------- Then you enter the amount, and press confirm again.

--------- Next is your cell phone number, confirm again.

-------

Then all the information will show up, and you press confirm again.

-------- After this, it will do a bunch of processing, and take you to a screen where it charges you a couple RMB for using the machine. Confirm the extra charge, and then swipe your bank card, enter your password.

------ Press confirm again when it's all over to print a receipt. And you're done! You've successfully made a payment on Taobao. Was that hard? Easy? Let us know in the comments below.