A passenger scans a QR code of Alipay, a mobile payment app, to take subway at the Fengtan Road Subway Station in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Dec. 27, 2017. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

In rural areas, mobile payment increased consumption by 22.1 percent, while in urban areas, consumption went up by 12.79 percent.

BEIJING, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's mobile payment has promoted household consumption, especially in rural areas, a recent study showed.

Mobile payment boosted household consumption in China by 16.01 percent and significantly changed the consumption structure, according to the China Household Financial Survey released by the Beijing University together with research institutions from some other universities as well as a financial research institute under Alibaba.

In rural areas, mobile payment increased consumption by 22.1 percent, while in urban areas, consumption went up by 12.79 percent thanks to the practice.

Families of low, middle and high-income consumption increased by 22.81 percent, 16.5 percent and 6.04 percent respectively after adopting mobile payment.

"The rapid popularization of mobile payment in China has greatly changed the business model of enterprises and the consumption habits of households," said Yin Zhichao, a financial professor who led the research. "It has created opportunities for the development of e-commerce, reduced offline transaction costs and brought convenience to consumption." ■