Douyin has launched Chanmao Food Delivery, and the act of ordering takeout on the platform is essentially a money-accumulating game.

News on August 20 says that Douyin has recently quietly launched a mini-game called "Gluttonous Cat Takeaway", which simulates the process of ordering takeout, but the orders in the game will not be actually generated or delivered. The amount paid by users will be deposited into the Gluttonous Cat Piggy Bank and can be withdrawn at any time.

After testing "Gluttonous Cat Takeaway", Jiemian News found that its interface highly replicates mainstream takeaway platforms such as Meituan Waimai and Taobao Flash Purchase (formerly Ele.me). The receiving address area in the upper left corner can be switched to several addresses such as "Weight Loss Failure Community", "Late Night Snack Street", "East Gate of The Open University of China", "Cat Planet · Dining Zone" and so on.

Immediately below is the search box for keyword search. There is then a reminder that Gluttonous Cat Takeaway is a money-saving game produced by Douyin Pay, all the shops and products below are virtual, and orders will not be actually delivered, satisfying the dopamine brought by your impulsive consumption.

The main interface has eight categories to choose from, including snacks and fast food, Sichuan-Hunan stir-fries, hot pot and barbecue, Western cuisine, local specialties and more. The store section displays details such as ratings, monthly sales, distance, delivery time, and prices. The ordering process supports selecting specifications, filling in taste notes, calculating packaging fees and delivery fees, and has functions such as full reduction. After clicking confirm to place the order, the interface will show a prompt of "Activate and deposit to Gluttonous Cat Piggy Bank".

According to the user service agreement of "Save Together", "Save Together" currently has two modes: multi-person saving and single-person saving. Multi-person saving refers to a money-saving mode with at least two participants. Multi-person saving has multiple types for different money-saving purposes and will be updated continuously, including wish saving, travel saving, etc. Single-person saving refers to the personal money-saving mode, which has many different types and will be updated continuously, such as "Gluttonous Cat Takeaway".

Gluttonous Cat Takeaway is one of the single-person money-saving modes provided for users, which achieves the purpose of personal money saving through entertaining interactive forms such as "simulating ordering takeout", no need to invite others to join, and it is activated and used by one person. All the content displayed on the relevant pages of Gluttonous Cat Takeaway, including shops, dishes, reviews, orders, delivery, riders, etc., are fictional demonstrations, not real commodity or service transactions. Douyin does not sell any commodities to users, nor does it provide catering or takeaway delivery services.

After the user completes the order placement and payment of the virtual takeaway order, the paid funds will be deposited into the exclusive money-saving sub-ledger (such as "Gluttonous Cat Piggy Bank") under the user's Douyin Pay account, and the user will not make payment to any merchant or third party as a result. Gluttonous Cat Takeaway is the user's own money-saving tool, the funds are stored in the money-saving sub-ledger and do not generate any income. Douyin does not provide any value-added capital services, nor does it promise or pay any income to users. Users have the ownership of the funds recorded in the money-saving sub-ledger.

The service agreement also reminds that users can withdraw all or part of the funds in the money-saving sub-ledger to the balance of their own Douyin Pay change account at any time. Douyin does not set additional preconditions for withdrawal, except for cases where the competent authority takes measures such as inquiry, freezing, and deduction on the funds recorded in the money-saving sub-ledger due to disputes or litigation involving users.

It is worth noting that a similar virtual takeaway ordering website has also become a hit in South Korea recently. The website is called FoodNeverComes, whose design is no different from local takeaway websites, with a variety of dishes, attractive pictures, and even coupons. After adding to cart and placing an order, users can even see the virtual delivery rider moving on the map. The difference is that the order will not be delivered, and the user's own wallet will not be damaged.

Some psychologists call the software or websites that provide this type of service "dopamine websites", which means that young people do not need to bear actual costs, but obtain the "dopamine satisfaction" that the brain craves by simulating familiar lifestyles.

Some analysis believes that the academic, workplace and real life pressures have shaped the unique online habits and pressure-avoiding ways of young people in South Korea. This trend is also in the same line as the "mukbang" culture that has risen in recent years -- watching others eat with gusto without eating themselves, but can get a certain kind of alternative satisfaction. Simulating daily behaviors does not need to pay physical and financial costs in reality, and can also bring psychological comfort to people.

This article is from Jiemian News, the author is Chen Xiaotong, 36Kr is authorized to release it.