The Ministry of Commerce and other government departments in the country have announced new subsidy plans for digital devices and a trade-in program for home appliances — effective Jan 20, 2025.

Q: Which products are eligible for the subsidy policy?

A:

- Home appliances: Refrigerators (including freezers), washing machines, televisions, air conditioners (including central air conditioning), computers (including desktops and laptops), water heaters (including wall-mounted boilers), household stoves (including integrated stoves), range hoods, microwave ovens, water purifiers, dishwashers, rice cookers, all with energy efficiency or water efficiency ratings of grade 2 or above.

- Digital products: Mobile phones, tablets, smartwatches (including fitness bands) with a single unit sale price of no more than 6,000 yuan ($824.28).

Q: What is the subsidy standard?

A:

- Home appliances: The subsidy is 15 percent of the final sale price. An additional 5 percent subsidy is provided for products with grade 1 or higher energy/water efficiency ratings. Each consumer can receive one subsidy per product category (up to three air conditioning units per person), with a maximum subsidy of 2,000 yuan per item.

- Digital products: Personal consumers purchasing mobile phones, tablets, or smartwatches (fitness bands) can enjoy a subsidy of 15 percent of the final sale price — after deducting production, distribution, and telecom operator discounts — up to a maximum of 500 yuan per item. Each consumer can receive one subsidy per product category.

Q: Are there any restrictions for consumers participating in the activity?

A:

Consumers can participate by purchasing subsidized products at participating physical stores or from online stores that ship to addresses within Shanghai.

Q: How to participate in the activity?

A:

- Home appliances: From Jan 20, consumers can receive coupons for 12 categories of home appliances on Cloud QuickPass (mobile payment service of state-backed UnionPay), Alipay, or WeChat apps. Each category includes one grade 1 and one grade 2 energy efficiency discount coupon. Air conditioning coupons include three grade 1 and three grade 2 energy efficiency coupons. Consumers who have already received subsidies for home appliances in 2024 can continue to enjoy the subsidy when purchasing similar products in 2025.

- Digital products: Starting Jan 20, consumers can receive coupons for mobile phones, tablets, and smartwatches (fitness bands) through the same platforms.

Consumers can redeem the coupons via the payment apps. For home appliances, only one coupon per category can be used (except for air conditioners, where three coupons can be redeemed). When buying computers (including desktops and laptops) or digital products, consumers must verify the SN code and activation on-site with the salesperson (or delivery person) and save an activation photo.

Q: What are the start and end dates of the subsidy activity?

A:

- Home appliances: The subsidy for refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, air conditioners, computers, water heaters, stoves and range hoods continues from Jan 1, 2025, as part of the 2024 policy, while microwaves, water purifiers, dishwashers and rice cookers are eligible from Jan 20, 2025. The activity ends on Dec 31, 2025.

- Digital products: The subsidy for digital products starts on Jan 20, 2025 and ends on Dec 31, 2025.

Q: How can consumers check which companies are participating in the subsidy activity?

A:

Consumers can check the list of participating businesses on the WeChat account of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce at "scofcom" starting Jan 19, or call China UnionPay at 95516 — or check the "上海家电数码消费补贴 (Shanghai Home Appliance and Digital Product Subsidy)" section on the Cloud QuickPass app for updated information.

Q: What are the requirements for issuing invoices?

A:

Subsidized products must be paid for separately and the invoice should include the buyer's name and the total amount, including the subsidy. For digital products, the product details (name, model, SN code, IMEI code) should also be included.

Q: What are the possible reasons for coupon deduction failures?

A:

Common reasons include:

- The in-store POS system hasn't been updated for the promotion.

- The product category does not match the coupon type.

- The coupon has expired.

- The business was disqualified from coupon redemption due to violations.

Q: How long is the validity of the category coupon?

A:

The coupon is valid for seven days from the date of issuance and will automatically expire after that. Coupons can be reissued during the subsidy activity period.

Q: What should consumers do if they return a product?

A:

- For same-day returns, the order is canceled and the coupon is returned immediately.

- For returns after the day of purchase, the coupon is returned the following day.

- For online purchases, the coupon is returned the day after the return is processed.

Q: If a company has promotional offers during the activity, which discount should consumers use first?

A:

Consumers should first apply the company's promotional discount and then use the category coupon based on the price after all discounts have been applied.

Q: Are online home appliance companies participating in the activity?

A:

- Home appliances: Platforms like Tmall, JD.com, Pinduoduo, Suning.com, iBailian and Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok), as well as the WeChat mini programs of brands like Midea, Haier, Fotile, Hisense and Gree will offer coupons from Jan 20. Other platforms like Xiaohongshu and Dewu are also working to support the activity.

- Digital products: JD.com, Tmall, Pinduoduo, Suning.com and Douyin will offer coupons for digital products from Jan 20, with iBailian, Xiaohongshu and Dewu also planning to join soon.

Q: How can consumers get help if they have questions during the activity?

A:

Consumers can call the customer service hotlines of the participating businesses, China UnionPay at 95516, Alipay at 95188, or WeChat Pay at 95017 for assistance.

 

Source: Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce