After the State Council, China's Cabinet, unveiled a guideline on Aug 3 to boost high-quality service consumption and unlock spending potential, Shanghai is launching a new dining coupon program. Here's how merchants can sign up:

Who can apply?

To be eligible, merchants must meet the following criteria:

1. Operate a restaurant in Shanghai with all necessary licenses;

2. Not be on the Shanghai Municipal Administration for Market Regulation's list of serious violators;

3. Have payment equipment like POS machines or QR code scanners;

4. Ensure that both merchant and terminal numbers are only used in Shanghai stores, and not shared across other regions.

When to apply?

Application period: Sept 23 to Nov 17

- Merchants applying between Sept 23 and Sept 25 will be included in the first batch, with approval by Sept 28.

- Those applying between Sept 26 and Sept 28 will be part of the second batch, with approval by Oct 1.

- Applications received between Sept 29 and Oct 5 will be reviewed and approved by Oct 12.

Note: The list of participating merchants will be updated weekly until the program ends.

Merchant list publication

The platforms distributing the coupons will publish a list of approved merchants able to accept them.

Event guidelines

Throughout the program, merchants are required to:

- Follow the guidelines and assist with marketing promotions;

- Maintain fair, honest, and high-quality service;

- Avoid adding any extra conditions for coupon use;

- Resist any form of coupon abuse or fraud.

Merchants found engaging in illegal or non-compliant behavior will be disqualified from the program, and serious violations may lead to legal consequences.