Buy something through the WeChat Wallet using Snapscan and you’ll get 20% cash-back, provided you make a purchase from participating SnapScan stores. This deal is not widely promoted at present so I only found out about it when I made a purchase through online clothing store Spree using the WeChat Wallet. Both wallet cash balance and card purchases apply for this promotion, which runs until 23 May 2016.
According to WeChat’s website, one customer can get the cash back up to five times per day and the value is limited to R500 per cash back. Unfortunately, you can’t decide where the money goes as it will only be credited to your WeChat Wallet – obviously WeChat prefers that you transact only through it.
The WeChat Wallet is only available to iOS and Android devices. For more information about the WeChat Wallet, click here.
WeChat’s other useful functions
WeChat Wallet allows you to buy airtime and data, electricity, as well as send and receive cash. You can also view your transaction history through the app.
Besides making purchases, WeChat has a whole host of other functions that you can make use of, including messaging, video and voice calling, voice notes, location and name card sharing.
You can also follow official accounts, send Sights, play games and make use of unique stickers to add colour to your chats and Moments. For more information about WeChat’s features, click here.
What is WeChat?
WeChat is a social communications platform, which is a joint venture by Chinese tech company Tencent and South African media giant Naspers, that allows you to communicate with friends and family much in the same way as rival WhatsApp does.
It’s very popular in China and was first released in January 2011. Now one of its ambitions is to gain more market share in Africa, so the 20% cash-back promotion is unlikely to be the only carrot to lure consumers going forward. In March, WeChat collaborated with Culture Club Cheese restaurant in Bree Street, Cape Town to offer customers a R10 lunch meal deal if they paid using WeChat’s Wallet.