Harbin, the capital city of China’s northernmost Heilongjiang province, will offer a third round of electronic consumer coupons in a move to spur consumption in the wake of the COVID-19 epidemic, according to information from Harbin’s commerce bureau.

The consumer coupons will be issued at 9 am on Oct 23 through the Heilongjiang UnionPay mobile app and Alipay, and the coupons must be procured within the specified time limit.

These consumer coupons will apply to a range of businesses and fields, including 20 department stores (excluding supermarkets), nine home appliance and communications product providers, as well as the entire city’s catering, accommodation, culture and tourism services.

To improve the efficiency of government subsidy funds, this round of consumer coupons is valid for only five days. 

If awarded consumer coupons are not used within the specified period, they will automatically become invalid, and the value will return to the consumer coupon fund pool and enter the next round of issuance.

Unlike the previous two rounds, special consumer coupons targeting residents registered with rural households in Harbin city will be issued through WeChat.

Rural residents can also apply for consumer coupons targeted at all residents in Harbin, but only one voucher can be used each time.

Also, the duration of all tourism consumer coupons will be extended to Feb 28, 2021, throughout the entire ice and snow season in the city.