Starting from September 2020, Beijing officially opened the application of electronic social security cards, and cardholders can apply for electronic social security cards through the electronic social security card application channels.

Any cardholder who holds a physical social security card in a normal state in Beijing can apply for an electronic social security card. There is no need to provide materials when applying for electronic social security cards. The only process is to pass the facial recognition authentication and set a password.

The electronic social security card can be applied through the following channels:

• Local channel: Beijing Ren She APP.
• National channels: electronic social security card WeChat APP, Mobile 12333, State Council client WeChat APP, national government service platform APP and WeChat APP, etc.
• Banking channels: ICBC, ABC, BOC, CCB, BC, UnionPay Cloud QuickPass, etc.
• The third-party channels: WeChat and Alipay.

The electronic social security card has the functions of identity authentication, biometric identification, mobile payment, etc., and supports the following livelihood services:

The first is to open up to the field of government services, and support the use of electronic social security cards in government halls, government portals, and government APPs at all levels to achieve identity authentication and fast login. It also supports medical insurance mobile payment (outpatient, drug purchase, hospitalization) and other medical all-in-one card applications.

The second is to expand to smart city services, make use of the electronic social security card identity certificate function, and integrate it with transportation, public utilities, micropayments and other scenarios to promote applications in parks, museums, and travel.

The third is to open up to financial services, provide electronic social security card payment and payment services, realize related people's livelihood payment and benefits, and explore cooperation in social security card bank account online applications, bank account identity verification, and credit services.

After successfully applying for one channel, you only need to enter the password for verification when receiving from other channels. After receiving the electronic social security card, both the physical card and the electronic social security card can be used normally.

The electronic social security card is used in the combination of online and offline services in the fields of human resources and social security, government public services, finance, etc., focusing on the promotion of online social security rights and interests records, online medical treatment and drug purchase payment settlement, online insurance payment, and online professional qualifications authentication and online human and social public service vouchers. At the same time, it will further support cross-departmental applications, help government public services, promote people's livelihood services and the construction of smart cities.