Which app to install

There is no single "Didi" app for foreigners — there are four routes into the service and they behave differently.

DiDi (main Chinese app): The full-fat product used by residents. English is available in Settings but coverage is uneven and older screens fall back to Chinese. Registration requires a mainland phone number and a linked Chinese payment method. Not the recommended entry point for a short visit.
DiDi International (sometimes marketed as "DiDi Rider"): A separate app aimed at short-term visitors. Interface is English-first — the ride-hailing flow inside mainland China routes through the same driver pool as the Chinese app. Accepts foreign Visa and Mastercard directly. This is the recommended default for most visitors.
Alipay mini-programme (小程序): Once you have Alipay set up with a linked foreign card under the Tour Pass or the newer direct-linking scheme, the "出行" (Travel) tile on the Alipay home surfaces Didi. Payment flows through Alipay. Useful as a fallback when the DiDi International app misbehaves.
Weixin/WeChat mini-programme: The 滴滴出行 mini-programme inside WeChat behaves similarly to the Alipay route — payment flows through WeChat Pay. Requires WeChat Pay to be set up with a foreign card, which as of mid-2026 is possible but has occasional card-decline friction.

Install the DiDi International app first. Keep the Alipay and WeChat mini-programmes as backups.

Sign-up and phone verification

The DiDi International app will attempt to verify you by SMS. This is where most foreign visitors get stuck.

The app accepts international phone numbers on sign-up. Your home number can be used, but SMS delivery on international roaming inside mainland China is patchy — the great firewall does not block SMS but Chinese carriers sometimes rate-limit or drop foreign short-code traffic.
If the initial SMS does not arrive within about two minutes, request a second one. If a second attempt fails, switch the country code selector to your home country and re-enter — some users report the delivery route improves after a country-code refresh.
A stable workaround is to complete registration on airport Wi-Fi before you insert a Chinese SIM or eSIM. Home-network SMS delivery is more reliable when you are still on your home carrier via roaming, or on Wi-Fi with your home number reachable.
If SMS still fails, use the WhatsApp verification option where offered — DiDi International rolled this out for select markets in 2025 and expanded it during 2026.
Email-only sign-up is not currently supported.

Once verified you will be asked to add a payment method before you can book.

Payment method options

Four routes are workable for a foreign visitor.

1. **Foreign Visa or Mastercard added directly in DiDi International**. This is the least-friction option and works for most travellers from countries that participate in international card acceptance. Some issuing banks flag the first transaction as suspicious — check your banking app for a hold notification if the first ride attempt fails. 2. **Alipay with a linked foreign card** (Tour Pass or the direct-linking scheme). Ride payment is routed through Alipay's balance and settled to your card. This adds a small FX spread but sidesteps card-declines on the direct route. 3. **WeChat Pay with a linked foreign card**. Similar mechanics to Alipay. Some users report WeChat Pay is slightly more reliable for smaller ride fares — the pattern is not consistent. 4. **UnionPay-issued tourist card** (physical or virtual). Works reliably where accepted but requires a separate application before travel — see the dedicated payment guide.

A Chinese bank account is not required for any of these routes.

Booking your first ride

The DiDi International map opens on your current location. The destination field accepts English input for well-known landmarks — "Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 3" resolves reliably; "Wudaokou station exit B" often does not. If English input fails:

Copy the destination's Chinese name from Amap (高德地图), Baidu Maps, or the venue's own listing and paste it into the destination field.
Save common destinations (hotel, office, station) to Favourites once you have found the correct pin — this avoids re-entering them.
Long-press the map to drop a pin at a specific point if the search cannot find the address. The pin will pass the exact coordinates to the driver.

The confirm-booking screen shows the estimated fare, the ride type, and an ETA. Tap "Book" and the app will match you within about a minute in a first-tier city, longer at the fringes or during surge windows.

Ride types and when to use each

Express (快车): Standard economy. Toyota Corolla, VW Lavida, BYD Qin — that class of car. Cheapest option. Default choice for most rides.
Premier (专车): A step up. Cleaner cars, better-trained drivers, water in the seat pocket. Around 30–50 per cent more than Express.
DiDi Luxe (豪华车): Executive-class. Audi A6L, BMW 5-Series, Mercedes E-Class. Roughly 2–3× Express fares. Useful for airport pickups when you need a specific pickup point and confirmed capacity, or when travelling in business attire.
Taxi (出租车): Hails a metered taxi through the app. Fare follows the meter — no surge, no discount. Useful when Express supply is thin.
Hitch (顺风车): Carpooling. Cheaper than Express but with a stranger, a longer route, and a slower pickup. Not recommended for a first-time visitor.

Ride-type availability differs by city. Second and third-tier cities may show only Express and Taxi.

Fares — what to expect

Fares are base plus distance plus time, with surge multipliers during rush hours, in bad weather, and at airport ranks. Illustrative fares for July 2026 in first-tier cities:

Beijing Capital Airport (PEK) to Wangfujing (about 30km, 45–60 minutes off-peak): Express roughly ¥110–140, Premier ¥170–210. Add 20–40 per cent during evening rush.
Shanghai Pudong Airport (PVG) to People's Square (about 45km, 60 minutes): Express roughly ¥170–220, Premier ¥260–320.
Guangzhou Baiyun Airport (CAN) to Zhujiang New Town (about 30km): Express roughly ¥100–130.
Chengdu Tianfu Airport (TFU) to city centre (about 50km): Express roughly ¥130–170. The old Shuangliu Airport (CTU) is closer to the centre and cheaper.

Surge windows are broadly 07:30–09:30 and 17:30–19:30 on weekdays, plus rainy evenings. The app displays the multiplier before you confirm.

Etiquette

Tipping is not expected — the app does not have a tip flow and drivers do not solicit tips.
Seatbelts: Front passengers should wear the belt. Rear seatbelts exist but are commonly ignored — use them anyway.
Smoking: At the driver's discretion. Some drivers smoke; the app has no non-smoking filter. If it matters to you, ask when the driver phones — "请不要抽烟" (please don't smoke).
Boot access: The driver will unlock the boot but will not usually get out to help with bags. Load your own luggage.
Front seat vs back seat: Chinese passengers commonly ride in the back. Sitting in the front is fine and is more common for solo male passengers.
Air-con: Not always on by default in shoulder seasons. "空调" (air-con) is the word if you need to ask.

Common issues and fixes

"Destination not recognised": Use the Chinese name pasted from a maps app, or drop a pin.
Driver phones and speaks no English: The DiDi International app has an in-app translated chat — use it. Common phrases are pre-canned. If the driver has already left the pickup point because they could not find you, cancel and re-book rather than trying to redirect them by phone.
Ride cancelled by driver: Common in the first few minutes after booking, particularly at airports where drivers prefer longer rides. Re-book — the second match is usually a driver who is closer or specifically fishing for airport pickups.
Payment declined on first ride: Check your card issuer's app for a fraud hold. Approve the transaction there and retry. If declines persist, add an Alipay-linked card as a backup payment method.
Different Chinese phone number required for verification: If the app rejects your foreign number, switch to the Alipay or WeChat mini-programme route — those use your Alipay or WeChat identity, which is already verified.

Safety features

Share Trip: A share button on the ride screen sends a live-tracking link to a contact via WhatsApp, iMessage, or copied URL. Use it if you are travelling alone at night.
SOS button: Sends your live location and ride details to your emergency contacts and to DiDi's safety desk. In a serious incident, dial 110 (police) in parallel.
In-app recording: Some rides in mainland China are audio-recorded by default under Chinese passenger-safety rules. The recording is held by Didi and released only in disputes.
Complaint flow: The trip receipt has a "report" button. Route problems, fare disputes, and driver behaviour issues go through the same flow. Response times are typically 24–48 hours.
Emergency numbers: 110 police, 120 ambulance, 119 fire. Any of these will connect from any Chinese SIM without balance.

City coverage

DiDi is available in every provincial capital and every prefecture-level city on the mainland. Coverage in county-level cities and townships is thinner — you may wait longer for a match and see only Express as a ride option. Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR have their own separate DiDi products; the mainland app does not route rides in either.

Related resources

WeChat Pay for foreigners — the sibling guide covering payment setup.
Alipay Tour Pass — the shorter-term option if you don't want to link a card long-term.
China SIM and eSIM 2026 — reliable mobile data makes the app work; roaming works but is slower.
240-hour transit — for visitors on transit visas, all the above still applies without modification.