How to use Didi in China

Didi is China’s main ride-hailing app, and for a first-time visitor it’s often easier than a street taxi: you type the destination instead of explaining it, and the price is shown up front. Set Didi up before you fly, keep your destinations in Chinese characters, and check the plate before you get in.

Step by step: setting up Didi before your China trip

You can use Didi in two ways: the DiDi app, which has an English interface, or the DiDi mini program inside Alipay or WeChat.

1. Choose your route in. Install the DiDi app and set the language to English if it doesn’t switch automatically, or open Alipay or WeChat and search for “DiDi”.
2. Sign in with your phone number. A home number works for most visitors.
3. Add payment. In the DiDi app, link a Visa or Mastercard. In the Alipay or WeChat mini program, rides are charged to the wallet you already set up. See Paying in China.
4. Save places. Add your hotel and key sights as saved addresses, using the Chinese name when the English one doesn’t come up.

Check before you go: Which foreign cards Didi accepts, and any fees on foreign-card payments, can change. Check the payment screen in the DiDi app, Alipay or WeChat before you rely on it.

Step by step: ordering a Didi ride in China

1. Turn on location and check that the pickup pin is where you are.
2. Enter the destination. If the English search can’t find it, paste the name in Chinese characters from your booking or the address card tool.
3. Pick a ride type and check the estimated fare.
4. Confirm the pickup point. Didi often suggests a nearby point where cars can stop. Walk there.
5. Match the car. The app shows the plate number, car model and color. Check the plate before you get in.
6. Ride and pay. Payment goes through the app at the end of the trip. Tipping isn’t expected.

Pickup points for Didi at airports and stations

At Chinese airports and railway stations, Didi pickups happen in a marked ride-hailing area, not at the taxi rank or the curb outside arrivals. Follow signs for ride-hailing or online car-hailing, and check the app for the exact zone or parking level before you order. Big hubs can be a long walk from gate to pickup.

Talking to your Didi driver

Most Didi drivers don’t speak English. Drivers sometimes call to confirm the pickup, usually in Chinese.

• Use the in-app messages rather than calls, and type short sentences a translation app can handle.
• Keep your destination in Chinese characters on screen to show on arrival.
• The phrases tool has lines for “I’m here” and “please stop here”.

Didi vs a street taxi in China

• Didi: destination typed in, fare estimated up front, trip recorded in the app, payment automatic. Best when you can’t explain the address or want a record.
• Street taxi: no app needed and easy to find outside busy places. Show the address in Chinese, make sure the meter runs, and pay by Alipay, WeChat Pay or cash. At airports and stations use the official taxi queue only.

See Getting around for metros, taxis and trains.

If ordering a Didi goes wrong

• No driver accepts: wait a few minutes, choose another ride type, or walk to a busier street.
• Payment fails: switch to the Didi mini program in Alipay or WeChat, or try another linked card.
• You can’t find the car: message the driver, share a nearby landmark, or move to the suggested pickup point.
• Destination not found: search in Chinese characters, or drop the pin on the map.
• Something left in the car: use the trip history in the app to contact the driver or support.
• You feel unsafe: use the app’s safety features, and call 110 for the police in an emergency. The emergency tool has phrases to show.