Taiwan is a cash based economy. Almost everything is paid with cash. Bills are paid in cash at convenience stores, rent is given by hand, even high price items like TVs or scooters, are paid with large wads of cash.
There are credit cards, but many people don't have one. Even when they are used, the resulting bill is paid for with cash. To my knowledge there is no such thing as a debit card. And nobody has ever even heard of a check. Online banking is still in it's infancy.
Changes are being made though. Nowadays a lot things are paid for by fund transfers through an ATM. You can do this with most bills and even when paying for some items. Also the "smart card" used for the subway and bus, is slowly being expanded to cover other goods and services. Then again to add funds to the card you need to pay with....cash.
I sometimes wonder why all these cash transactions. While there are a few "right" answers, I can't help but think that one hidden reason is a lack of trust. Because of this there is one thing every two months that always blows my mind....the gas report sheet.
Above is what you will see on the doors of many apartment buildings. Each person must look at their gas meter in their apartment and then write down the number on this sheet. Then the gas company will collect the sheet and send you your bill a few days later. It's quite surprising the level of trust in this system. Unfortunately it also can be a flawed system, as one time I was charged way too much. Perhaps my handwriting was too unclear, but in true American style I'm going to blame others for my mistakes, and say it was a result of human error caused by not having an automatic computer based system.
Finally since I "trust" you to not use this to hunt me down and kill me...the above sheet is from the elevator in my friend's apartment building. So nice they get to write theirs in the comfort and convenience of their elevator, instead of trekking downstairs to write it on the front door. Feel free to use the info above to track her down and tell her how lucky she is.
