In the canteen you pay by swiping your meal card; cash isn't accepted.
Tips
culture
Chinese universities, schools and many workplaces run their canteens on a stored-value 饭卡: you top it up (充值) and swipe it (刷卡) at the counter. On many campuses it is now part of the all-purpose 校园卡, or replaced by paying with a phone.
