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DiDi in China: how to book a ride as a foreign visitor

Set up the app and payment at home, book your first ride from the airport and avoid the pickup-point mistakes most visitors make.

Written by in Shenzhen. Published . Check changing rules and prices before you book. · 9 min read

Richard · ShenzhenFirst-hand local experienceUpdated See the sources and checks in this guide
Quick answer

DiDi works much like Uber: you set the pickup and destination in your phone, see the car arrive and pay in the app. For visitors, what matters is choosing the right version, preparing your phone number and payment before the trip, and having a plan B for the first ride from the airport. You do not need a Chinese phone number or bank account.

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In this guideShow
  1. What DiDi solves
  2. Set up before you land
  3. Booking step by step
  4. Airports and stations
  5. Payment and backup
  6. Getting in safely
  7. Your first-ride plan
  8. Sources
Quick answer: install DiDi China (DiDi-Greater China) from the official store, register with your own number, add an international card and set up Alipay as a backup — it can book rides too under Transport → Taxi.

What DiDi solves — and what the metro does better

DiDi is China’s main ride-hailing app, similar to Uber. It does not replace the whole transport system: in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou or Shenzhen the metro is often faster, because cars sit in traffic. DiDi is best for early departures, luggage, late arrivals, places without a convenient metro stop, and small groups that would otherwise split across carriages.

China’s official guide for foreigners lists three ways to book a ride: the Alipay app, WeChat, and the DiDi-Greater China app, which supports registration with foreign mobile numbers and international credit cards. For a first trip, prepare two of them — the standalone DiDi app and Alipay. If one refuses your card or SMS, you are not stuck at the kerb.

Simple rule: use the metro for crossing the city and DiDi for hotel doors, luggage, rain and awkward gaps. One app is no reason to drive across the city in rush hour.
Traveller checking app and data settings on a phone at the airport
Set up the account and payment at home — airport Wi-Fi with a queue behind you is the worst place to start.

Set up DiDi before you land

Do not wait for hotel Wi-Fi. Download the app from the official App Store or Google Play, register with the phone number you will carry, and add a card. On the App Store the international version is listed as DiDi China: Ride Hailing; its description mentions an English interface, global mobile-number login, international bank cards and in-app translation between rider and driver. Store names can vary by country, so go by the developer and the description for China — never install an APK from a search result.

Check two things right away: that your home SIM receives SMS abroad, and that the phone has data. A data eSIM gives you internet, but the verification code usually goes to the number you registered with. The full setup is in the China eSIM and internet guide.

A ten-minute test before you fly

  1. Install the official app and switch it to English if offered.
  2. Enter your number in international format and finish the SMS verification.
  3. Add a card in the payment section and approve any bank check at home.
  4. Save your first hotel’s Chinese name from the booking as a screenshot — it works without data.
  5. Set up Alipay and a physical card as backups: see Alipay and WeChat Pay for foreigners.

Do not book a test ride from abroad. The point is to reach the screen where the account, language and card look ready; availability, price and the final confirmation appear only where the service operates.

How to book a ride, step by step

First check the pickup point. GPS can drift by a whole entrance near tall buildings, at stations or underground. Do not accept the automatic pin just because it appeared first. Then enter the destination; if you only have an English address, use the hotel name, a map pin or the Chinese name from your booking.

  1. Set the pickup. Move the pin to the reception, gate or marked pickup area.
  2. Enter the destination and check the Chinese name. With two similarly named hotels, the address decides, not the logo.
  3. Choose a category. The official guide lists Express, Taxi, Premier and Luxe; availability varies by city and time.
  4. Check the estimate before confirming. If demand is high or the pickup is awkward, walk a few metres to a clearer spot and check again.
  5. Match the car. Before getting in, compare the licence plate, model and driver details with the app.

If the driver calls and you do not understand, use the in-app chat instead: send a short sentence or a photo of the entrance. Save these two as a screenshot:

  • 我在这里等您 (Wǒ zài zhèlǐ děng nín) — I am waiting here.
  • 请到酒店大门口 (Qǐng dào jiǔdiàn dàmén kǒu) — Please come to the hotel’s main entrance.
Passenger using a ride-hailing app next to the booked car
Match the licence plate and car model with the app before you open the door.

Airports and stations: the last 200 metres decide

The most common problem after landing is not registration but the meeting point. Airports have separate lanes, car parks and pickup zones. After booking, read the instruction in the app, follow signs for taxis or ride-hailing and do not ask the driver to stop at a random spot by the arrivals hall. If you are unsure about the pin, stop at an information board, note the door number and send it to the driver.

At a big railway station, book only after you have passed the exit gates and know which side you are on. High-speed stations can have exits tens of minutes apart. For the train itself, see the China high-speed train guide.

First ride from the airport: keep battery, data and your hotel’s Chinese name ready. If the battery dies, no app or payment method will help.
Phone navigation used during a journey
Keep the map open for orientation, but let the in-app chat handle changes of entrance or destination.

Payment: one card is not a plan

The official guide confirms that DiDi-Greater China accepts registration with a foreign number and an international credit card. That is good news, not a promise for every card: your bank, a security check or the app’s current terms can still block it. A sensible set-up is a card in DiDi, a working Alipay with a card added, a physical card and some yuan in cash.

You can also book through Alipay — open Transport, choose Taxi and enter pickup and destination — or through WeChat under Me → Services → Mobility or Ride Hailing. Menus can move; if an item is not where you expect it, go back to the app that already works instead of searching in the rain.

Never pay outside the app because of a language barrier. If payment or registration fails, switch to Alipay, use the official taxi rank or ask your hotel reception — not a stranger who approaches you in the arrivals hall.

Getting in safely: small checks, big peace of mind

Before opening the door, compare the licence plate with the app; the colour of the car is not enough. Check the driver’s name and the car type too, especially on busy streets where several cars stop at one gate. Do not get in just because someone shouts your name.

If anything feels wrong, end the ride in a busy public place, book another through the official app and raise the issue with in-app support. The app listing advertises 24/7 bilingual customer service; check the current channel in your version.

What not to do

  • Do not download unofficial APKs or send your card number to a “support” chat.
  • Do not book from the train door if you do not know which station exit you will use.
  • Do not accept a ride from someone who approaches you outside the marked rank without a booking.
  • Do not build the trip on one account, one card or a phone with a dying battery.
Modern metro station in Shenzhen with ticket gates
In Shenzhen, the metro is often the faster choice across town; keep DiDi for doors, luggage and late hours.

A short plan for your first ride

  1. Before departure, set up DiDi, Alipay and a backup card.
  2. After landing, connect to data and open your hotel booking with its Chinese name.
  3. At the airport, find the marked pickup area and only then confirm the pin.
  4. Check the plate, model and driver in the app.
  5. Keep the trip history on your phone until you have checked in.

DiDi does not remove every language or transport detail, but it removes the worst first-evening scenario: an unknown address, luggage and no clear way to the hotel. For a full list of what to install, see the apps you actually need in China.

Sources and how this guide was checked

Checked on 4 November 2026. App names, menus and accepted cards change; follow what your current app version shows.

FAQ

Quick answers

Does DiDi work in China with a foreign phone number?

Yes. China’s official guide for foreigners and the DiDi China app listing both describe registration with a foreign mobile number. Check at home that your number receives SMS abroad and that the app is available in your store.

Can I pay for DiDi with a foreign card?

The official guide and the app listing mention international cards. That does not guarantee every card will be approved, so also set up Alipay, carry a physical card and some cash.

Do I need a Chinese phone number for DiDi?

No. Foreign visitors can register with an overseas number. The phone must still receive the verification SMS and have mobile data to book rides.

How do I book a taxi through Alipay?

In Alipay open Transport, choose Taxi, then set the pickup point and destination. If the menu looks different, use the in-app search or your second prepared option.

How do I find my DiDi car at the airport?

Follow the marked pickup zone and the instructions in the app. Before getting in, compare the licence plate, car model and driver details — not just the colour of the car.

Richard — your local contact in Shenzhen

I live in Shenzhen and help first-time visitors plan routes, payments, apps and transport so the trip works from the first hour after landing.

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