(Yicai Global) Aug. 20 -- As the use of mobile payments continues to grow in China, authorities in the country's central Anhui province are taking measures to crack down on merchants that turn away customers who prefer to use cash.

The province has set up a target working group to stamp out such behavior following complaints that businesses are increasingly refusing payments in cash, state-backed Xinhua News Agency reported. Parking lots, small stores, and food street stall are among the main perpetrators.

"Such practices not only damage the legal status of cash circulation but also violate the legitimate rights and interests of consumers," said Wang Yazhou, a representative of the People's Bank of China's regional office in Anhui, adding that such actions especially impact the elderly and those who cannot use mobile phones.

The adoption of mobile payments in China has soared in recent years, pushing the concept of a cashless society closer and closer to reality. Such transactions hit a total of CNY81 trillion (USD12.8 trillion) last year. It is easier than ever to spend an entire day without the need for a wallet as convenience stores, gas stations, restaurants, and even the homeless accept mobile payments in place of cash.

Authorities will focus on the tourism, catering, retail, transportation sectors, as well as government and public services, to ensure that those engaged in such discriminatory practices are resolutely punished, Wang added.

Consumers in Anhui can make complaints regarding such behavior by calling hotlines linked to the local consumer rights protection agency and city authorities.

Editor: William Clegg