Before buying something, people usually ask themselves one question: Can I afford it? A popular Chinese mini-program adds another question: Will strangers let me buy it?
The program is called "Wait, Wallet." Users anonymously submit a spending request before making a purchase. They write down what they want, how much it costs, why they want it, and whether there is a cheaper alternative. Friends or strangers then vote to approve or reject the request and explain their decision.
The vote is only advice. The program cannot block a payment or freeze anyone's bank card. Still, asking for approval creates a pause between wanting something and buying it.
The idea quickly attracted attention. By the time of an interview on October 19, more than 300,000 people had participated, and users had submitted about 370,000 spending requests. One person can submit more than one request, so the number of requests is not the same as the number of users.
The developer, who uses the name Huoshan, is a 26-year-old product manager in Shanghai. She also struggled with impulse buying. After seeing people use spreadsheets to ask friends for shopping advice, she built the first version of the program with AI tools in eight days.
The program's popularity created an unexpected problem: how could a free service that tells people to spend less pay its own bills?
Huoshan said that, as of October 18, she had received only 28 yuan in tips on an article posted through her WeChat public account. That figure was not the program's total future income. Meanwhile, running the service required money for servers, phone-number checks, and other costs.
At first, Huoshan avoided advertising because she worried it would damage the program's style and user experience. She later asked members of a fan group whether they would accept a splash-screen ad. Most said yes, and the program began testing one to help cover part of its operating costs.
The irony is difficult to miss. A program built to discourage unnecessary spending now needs advertising to survive. Users may want someone to tell them, "Wait before you buy." But if that advice remains free, someone still has to pay for it.