Eventually, you will have to go through your first bill – the holy trinity: electricity, gas, and water. Coming to HK you hope that everything would be similar. It is the old British colony, so the rules may be the same. A bill – phi – you will just log into your bank account and pay it. Nothing simpler? Or not really…

In this story, we were lucky enough to already have a Cantonese bank account. We thought it would be that easy. But then I had found a letter in the mailbox…
We need to pay for gas until the 26th of August.
What day do we have today – oh crack! 26th August!!!

We live in XXI century right – so I got to the flat asap. I take the phone, make a photo. I sent it to my partner – it is he that has the bank account for now. He says “no problem, I will do it right now”. Whew!… long live technology.

The end? Not at all. 5 minutes later I get a message that he cannot make a transfer.

First – there is no option like that in the bank – it is automatic in HK (like ZUS in Poland).

Second – the bill has no bank account number! Well, there is something, but just a strange, short series of numbers. Or is it the code for the bill?

The stress level is rising.

It is the XXI century, right? I grab my phone, I call the gas company searching the Web in the meantime. A ritual with an automatic machine and voila – a female voice! Chinese female voice…

Do you speak English? – she asked with hope. She will be transferred to a colleague – she heard… a signal… a signal… the signal is gone, the conversation ended on its own. Wtfricases?!!!

The stress level is galloping up.

But then I hear a signal, some beeps and somebody picks up the phone. A gentleman asks about my problem.

In English! Hurray!

• So I want to pay the bill? No problem. I have these different methods.
• Yes – I know, I already read it on the web-page.
• Yes, yes – these are the methods.
• So what is your bank account number?
• Yes, yes, these are the only methods…

Stress level drops down. Frustration is sky-rocketing.

So the help-line didn’t help. Methods of payment did better (maybe this is why he repeated it 3 times). I can pay in the supermarket, hmmm… Like in Poland once – great, let’s go!

In the first shop, they told me that was not the one. And in the second one – the same! So when I was walking to the third one, in the meantime downloading the app MyDSG (of course, I experience other problems with setting up the account), my hubby was battling the same thing at work – asking the friendly Cantonese.

He reached me when I was returning from the third place. There was no more stress. I was a ticking bomb and my fuse was just waiting to be lit.

We did find a method – Damian was told about it. But just to finish the story.

So in the 3rd place – yes, I could pay – but only in cash… geez… medieval times!!!

Aye… adventure and so much knowledge!

There are many ways to pay the bill – don’t worry. Pick the one that is easiest for you. Here is the list:

1.   You can pay via the bank account, yes indeed. Each bank has its list of recipients. You can also input the autopay here, but you need to have the credit card (In HSBC the list didn’t cover our gas company)
2.   You can pay in specific shops but only with cash! (the names of shops should be on the bill)
3.   The post – maybe not in this century…
4.   Intermediaries like PPS (recommended by friends). It is a special platform created to pay the bills (app/phone/web). Yes, you read it right – this is its only reason for existence. It is quite good. Even if you pay at 11.59 PM on the last day – it is still on time. Just register. It is quite easy via the Internet or using stationary machines (look at the picture) that you can find in Circle K. You input your bank coordinates (using your debit card), put the passwords and that is it!

PPS is the most popular among the Hongkongers, as we were told.

Finishing – I do not recommend the app yet. It is crashing all the time.

Talking on the phone is ok – a machine is giving you all the steps.

The web is the easiest – and this is the place where you should direct yourself to pay those bills and avoid spontanously combusting.