Some positives about living in Shanghai are the many helpful apps that can make your life easier especially if you do not speak the language. You can pretty much buy anything with an app now. Shopping does not require the use of cash or cards anymore. In fact, I leave my wallet home sometimes. WeChat Pay and AliPay just makes life easier.
I use WeChat Pay at stores and restaurants. You just show them your barcode and the money gets deducted from.your bank account. You can also send money to friends.
I just use Alipay for TaoBao.
TaoBao is an awesome app. You can buy anything there. Yes it is in Chinese but I managed to get it set up. All my items are delivered to my school. I even ordered Lysol and some Apple Cider Vinegar from TaoBao.
Another great app is The Bon App. This app lists the restaurants available in Shanghai with an English interface. It includes reviews and rankings. I have found some good Uygur and Indian restaurants from using this app.
Finally another great app for getting around the city. Mobike allows you to reserve amd take one of their bikes around the city. It costs about 1 RMB per 30 minutes. I plan to use this often since there is always a Mobike around me. You just need to leave it at an approves location.
It would be great if some of these apps will be developed for Saigon.
I will do more thorough reviews of these apps in the future.