More bank cards, credit cards and IC (integrated circuit) cards have made banking and transacting money more convenient and safe for Chinese.

In the past, children would send money to their parents each month by post or on special occasions such as New Year's Day or the Spring Festival, taking several days. But through a nationwide bank network, money can be sent and received the same day.

The IC card is widely used in school cafeterias, supermarkets, department stores, and widely used to pay for hotel and restaurant bills, household electricity and water consumption and traffic fines.

Bank cards will not bring great profits to banks in the short term, but they will surely bring more deposits and therefore increase bank loans. More than 130,000 residents in Changchun have one or several bank cards.

Economists predict that people will depend more on bank cards than cash in the next few years. (Xinhua)