CORRECT APP
Verify the official China listing
Confirm “DiDi China: Ride Hailing,” the developer, and the official store page; do not rely only on a similar icon or name.
Keep the separate DiDi Rider listing out of the mainland China plan.
QUICK ANSWER
Foreigners can use DiDi in China — but set up the app, payment, and destination before your first ride.
Before your first ride, complete SMS verification, confirm your payment method, save the exact destination in Chinese, and check the pickup point. At airports and major railway stations, reach the designated e-hailing area before requesting the ride.
Best first-ride setup: correct app → phone and SMS → payment → exact destination → pickup point → vehicle check → taxi backup.
CORRECT CHINA APP
Use the official DiDi China: Ride Hailing listing and exclude the separate DiDi Rider listing from the mainland China plan.
TEST THE EXACT SETUP
Verify the actual number, SMS route, English interface, payment method, destination, pickup screen, and help entry on the travel phone.
KEEP A TAXI FALLBACK
Save the Chinese destination, identify the official taxi queue, confirm an accepted payment method, and keep RMB cash for emergency transport.
Choose the right DiDi or taxi entry
DiDi China, Alipay, and WeChat can each open a ride-hailing flow, but their accounts, payment methods, menus, and order records are not interchangeable. The separate DiDi Rider listing is not the mainland China app used in this guide.
Finish the setup before you need a car
Opening the App is not enough. Complete the parts that can be checked safely before departure, using the exact phone, number, card, account, and hotel that will be used in China. Do not place an unnecessary live ride merely to test the App.
NUMBER AND SMS
Complete login with the exact travel setup
Choose the correct country code and test verification or security SMS. If the travel line is data-only, it does not provide SMS on that line unless the provider explicitly says otherwise, and it does not replace messages sent to the original number.
Record which line supplies data and which number receives messages.
LANGUAGE AND MESSAGES
Switch to English and find bilingual messaging
Confirm that booking, driver messages, order details, and help can be read on the device that will be used.
Save the four driver messages from Module 6 outside the App.
PAYMENT
Select one account-specific payment route
DiDi China currently supports multiple payment methods, including international bank cards, but an individual card or transaction can still fail issuer, verification, account, or App checks.
A card added in one route is not automatically added to the other two.
HELP
Find the current English support entry
Locate the 24/7 in-app online English customer-service route before departure.
Do not assume a response time, refund, or dispute outcome is guaranteed.
DESTINATION
Search the real hotel or venue
Confirm the Chinese name, full address, correct branch, district, street, phone number, and map position.
Save the destination in Files or Photos so it remains available without DiDi.
Complete the city-ride chain without losing the order
Use an ordinary city pickup as the base workflow. Airports and large railway stations add separate pickup-zone rules, which are covered in Module 6.
START POINT
Check the data line, location, and pickup pin
Confirm that the pin matches the correct side of the road, entrance, or area where the vehicle can legally stop.
Correct the start point before requesting the ride.
DESTINATION AND SERVICE
Confirm the real destination and suitable vehicle
Check the Chinese branch, district, street, and map position; then review passenger capacity, luggage fit, the displayed estimate, and current fare or service conditions.
A pre-ride estimate is not a guaranteed final fare.
PICKUP POINT
Choose a place where the driver and traveler can meet
Use the App’s named point and compare it with the physical sign or entrance.
Do not request while the location is still uncertain.
REQUEST AND MESSAGE
Wait for a driver and use in-app messages
Keep messages short and use DiDi China’s bilingual messaging where available.
Refer to the exact pickup point shown in the App.
VEHICLE CHECK
Match the order before boarding
Check the driver information, vehicle type, and license plate, and confirm the registered mobile number’s last four digits when required.
Do not enter a vehicle that does not match the order.
FINISH AND GET HELP
Check the completed order before closing the App
Review the final charge, payment status, order record, and available receipt. Open the specific order for a wrong charge, driver problem, complaint, or lost item.
Do not make an undocumented second payment to resolve an App-order problem; call 110 or 120 when immediate assistance is required.
DiDi first-ride checklist for mainland China
Complete these checks for the exact phone, number, payment route, destination, and pickup location that will be used. Keep the official taxi queue as an independent fallback.
App and account
✓Official DiDi China: Ride Hailing name, developer, and store listing verified
✓Separate DiDi Rider listing excluded from the mainland China plan
✓Correct country code, foreign mobile number, and SMS route checked
✓English interface and bilingual in-app messaging found
✓24/7 in-app online English customer-service route located
Payment and destination
✓Primary route selected separately in DiDi China, Alipay, or WeChat
✓Intended international card or wallet route checked and a second digital route prepared
✓Hotel’s Chinese name, full address, phone number, and booking details saved outside the App
✓Correct branch, district, street, entrance, and map position confirmed
✓Ride screen reviewed safely without placing an unnecessary live order
Pickup and vehicle
✓Current airport or station e-hailing instructions checked where applicable
✓Exact floor, parking lot, square, zone, or pickup-point number identified
✓Ride request delayed until the physical sign and App pickup point match
✓Four bilingual driver messages saved outside the App
✓Driver, vehicle type, license plate, and phone-number last-four-digit checks understood
Backup and help
✓Marked official taxi queue identified and unsolicited drivers or touts excluded
✓Accepted taxi payment method checked and RMB cash prepared for emergency transport
✓Completed-order, receipt, wrong-charge, complaint, and lost-item routes understood
✓Police 110 and ambulance 120 saved for immediate emergencies
✓First ride remains workable if the App, SMS, card, data, or pickup plan fails
DiDi questions for foreign visitors
These answers cover mainland China. App listings, phone verification, SMS, payment methods, service types, pickup zones, fares, and support routes can change, so recheck the exact setup before departure.
Reach the exact airport or station pickup zone
At a large airport or railway station, a terminal or exit number may not be precise enough. The e-hailing point can be on another level, inside a parking lot, or in a numbered or lettered zone. Follow the current local signs and official instructions rather than applying one station’s route to another.
China Arrival Handbook