The file photo shows the light rail in Chongqing. (Photo/Chongqing Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau)
Chongqing - Chongqing will roll out a new "one-card" service model using the social security card, including its digital version, to improve public services and social governance.
The city has expanded the application list to 266 scenarios, including government services, social security, healthcare, transportation, and cultural tourism, according to a representative from the Chongqing Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau .
According to the recently released implementation plan for the reform of the "one-card" service in Chongqing, the card will serve as an official ID credential, allowing more personal services on the city's online platform "Yukuaiban" to be handled online and offline through the card. It will also cover employment registration, social insurance payments, talent subsidy applications, and labor rights protection.
In transportation, third-generation cards with transit keys will grant access to buses and subways citywide, while the digital card integrates with the "Yukuai code" (Chongqing's QR-based municipal service code for transport, e-certificates, and other public services) for payments. In culture and tourism, the card will enable book borrowing and returns across all public libraries, support ticket purchases and entry at scenic spots, and serve as an identity credential for hotel check-ins.
In terms of fund distribution, salaries, allowances, and subsidies will be delivered via social security cards, while the city will explore uses in areas such as consumption subsidies and points redemption.
To ensure implementation, the plan proposes accelerating digital platform development, involving card issuance, application services, fund distribution, and regional coordination. It also promotes integrating social security cards with foreign work permits, disability certificates, and other documents, as well as linking digital cards with government service codes, such as the "Yukuai code" and other sector-specific codes.
The plan further proposes a precision identification mechanism for key groups. By analyzing social security card data, the city aims to provide personalized services for the elderly, people with disabilities, and the unemployed, such as booking and quicker entry to cultural and tourism sites.
The reform will follow national standards for card chips and face information, tighten issuance and activation management, monitor usage, and fully protect personal data.
The representative said more convenient city services will continue to be developed, enhancing residents' sense of gain and satisfaction. By the end of 2025, electronic social security card coverage is expected to reach 79%, with 14.5 million third-generation cards issued; by 2027, coverage is expected to rise to 85%, with 18.5 million cards in circulation. Identity verification will cover a wide range of scenarios, and more residents will receive funds directly through their cards.