What are f\u0101pi\u00e0o you say? Oh. Boy, is this article for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
F\u0101pi\u00e0o are essentially receipts. We all know receipts. The slips of paper we absentmindedly stuff into our wallets and eventually throw away in great big handfuls because we\u2019re fiscally responsible adults? Those.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You need f\u0101pi\u00e0o. More specifically, your company needs f\u0101pi\u00e0o. A lot of f\u0101pi\u00e0o. F\u0101pi\u00e0o for days, in fact. It could be for\u2026 well, not that many reasons, most likely it\u2019s for claiming tax deductions for business expenditures. For you, though, they\u2019re for claiming back company expenses, or helping your employer who totally aren\u2019t jin-ing and mao-ing your salary out of the books because you haven\u2019t officially signed a contract with them, not that anyone does that, of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019re not here to talk about why you need the f\u0101pi\u00e0o. We\u2019re assuming you\u2019re here because you need more. So we\u2019ve compiled a bunch of different f\u0101pi\u00e0o-dispensaries to help in your quest for f\u0101pi\u00e0o. If you know these already, carry on, brave collector, and go with our blessings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ll start with an obvious one. Yes, you can get f\u0101pi\u00e0o at restaurants. Duh. But these are great, don\u2019t pass them up, they\u2019re some of your biggest f\u0101pi\u00e0o. They\u2019re like those glossy Pokemon cards you had as a kid, they\u2019re only worth exactly as much as you paid for them, and they\u2019ll only depreciate in value the longer you keep them, but they feel so much more important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But it\u2019s important to note that it can\u2019t just be a grubby receipt. It\u2019s got to be official. How do you know a f\u0101pi\u00e0o is legit? Easy. Does it have a red stamp (or chop) on it, with the name of the restaurant and a number on it? Yes? It\u2019s legit as far as you\u2019re concerned. Unless the establishment is faking their chop, but that\u2019s way above your head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re claiming these back at your company\u2019s expense (of course), make sure you ask for a legit f\u0101pi\u00e0o, with your company\u2019s name on it, exactly as it\u2019s written on your company\u2019s business license. One wrong character on there and you\u2019re left holding a fairly decent piece of toilet paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some restaurants and bars will say they can\u2019t issue you a f\u0101pi\u00e0o right now, man, they just needs a little more time, maybe next week. Some new places haven\u2019t had necessary paperwork go through yet, so you should give them an address and tell them to post the f\u0101pi\u00e0o to you there as soon as they can, and keep their phone number so you can follow up, incessantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or, they don\u2019t have the right license in place at all and\/or are basically dodging taxes. This is usually the case if they tell you something like \u201cthe machine is broken,\u201d or \u201cwe\u2019ve run out of paper.\u201d Bullshit. Avoid these places in the future, they are a dangerous drain on your f\u0101pi\u00e0o generating system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These can be good! Apart from the fact that you\u2019re in the hospital, we\u2019re sorry about that, we\u2019re sure it won\u2019t spread. Here, have another IV drip. Unlike most businesses, hospitals give you f\u0101pi\u00e0o automatically, without you asking. But right before they print it out, shove a piece of paper at them with your company name on it. Depending on the severity of your injury\/infection\/suspicious rash, these can be excellent (but hopefully infrequent) ways for you to boost your tax-deductible businesses expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taxis are great for f\u0101pi\u00e0o. They print out right there and they don\u2019t need a company name on them, either. These are golden tickets as far as your company accountant is concerned. No questions asked, no weird discrepancies on the books, just a nice, easy to explain business travel expense. Get them for every miscellaneous trip, get them from your friends, get them from your colleagues, lie in wait on street corners and dive half-way in through open taxi windows to grab the receipts before the shifu has time to hand them to the passengers. Whatever it takes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pro-tip: pay with your ji\u0101ot\u014dng card as much as possible. Not only do you get a f\u0101pi\u00e0o for when you top up your ji\u0101ot\u014dng card, you get a second f\u0101pi\u00e0ofor the taxi! Not sure how that works, or even if it really works, but unless your accountant\u2019s a real hawk, it\u2019s like two expenses for the price of one!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This one requires you to make an extra effort for between 2 and 5 RMB. Might not be worth it, but a f\u0101pi\u00e0o saved is a f\u0101pi\u00e0o earned, as our ayiprobably said, we\u2019re not sure, our Shanghainese is rusty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To get a metro or bus f\u0101pi\u00e0o, you\u2019re going to have to forego the benefits of swiping your ji\u0101ot\u014dng card and instead buy your ticket from an actual human being. That is, wait in line at the station, speak to the person in the booth, and they give you your ticket. It\u2019s like an automatic ticket vendor, except squishier and less efficient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or, much easier, you can just take the f\u0101pi\u00e0o they give you when you top up your ji\u0101ot\u014dng card. That way you only have one f\u0101pi\u00e0o for say, 100 RMB, instead of 50 f\u0101pi\u00e0o for 2 RMB each. They all count, though! Also, this kind doesn\u2019t need a company name on it either. Score!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Same goes for train journey f\u0101pi\u00e0o! Except in this case, because foreigners can\u2019t just swipe their hukou at the ticket pick-up machine, you have no choice but to wait in line, and the people behind the booth are typically less friendly than the metro booth people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yup! You\u2019re entitled to a f\u0101pi\u00e0o for everything you buy online. Some online vendors won\u2019t be able to issue one (see above re: Food & Drink). Some of them will even be willing to change what the item was on the invoice. Not that you\u2019d ever do that. Your company\u2019s kindly offering to cover your expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2026 Especially Pizza Delivery<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You know how you can put a note with any food order from Sherpas or CityShop or whatever? Put \u201cF\u0101pi\u00e0o for [your company name]\u201d and hey presto, you\u2019ve got pizza and a deliverable f\u0101pi\u00e0o!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This one might be harder to swing, but if you shop at stores like M&S where they have a food section and a clothing section, you can ask the clerk behind the counter to just lump all your purchases under \u201cfood\u201d and they\u2019ll often be happy to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whenever you shop at Lawsons or Buddies or FamilyMart or Qmart or\u2014man, lot of convenience store chains in Shanghai\u2014 those receipts don\u2019t need a company name on them either! You\u2019re gold. Get another Red Bull. Get three. Try one of those terrible energy drinks with the crocodile on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ever wondered about those phone numbers sometimes arbitrarily sprayed onto a wall or on the sidewalk? Sometimes it\u2019s laborers, guys with a truck to hire, women of negotiable affection, etc., but sometimes, it\u2019s just a dude who sells f\u0101pi\u00e0o.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019re obliged to tell you to never ever use the services of anyone who picks up when you dial a number with the characters \u201c\u53d1\u7968\u201d in front of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So that\u2019s how to maximize your f\u0101pi\u00e0o intake for whatever reason, hey, we\u2019re not here to judge, just to share some knowledge. Do you know any good ways of making sure you get enough f\u0101pi\u00e0o?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"