DiDi and Taxis in China: Book the Ride and Find Your Driver

Step by step

1. 01

   Confirm the app serves your journey

   The provider's DiDi China listing identifies mainland China and Hong Kong service and advertises English, global-number login and international cards. Check the actual app identity; a similarly named app used in another country is not proof of mainland capability.

   CHECK BEFORE CONTINUINGYou are using a documented mainland-capable service and can open its journey and account screens.

2. 02

   Prepare contact and payment before the pickup

   Sign in using your own supported number and check the account's contact details. Set up the payment route shown by the direct app or wallet entry. A data-only travel eSIM provides connectivity, not necessarily SMS to the number already registered with DiDi.

   CHECK BEFORE CONTINUINGYou know the registered number and the channel that will pay for this booking.

3. 03

   Choose the exact destination and pickup

   Search the Chinese destination name and inspect the map result. Select the intended terminal, railway station or building entrance. At the origin, follow the app's designated pickup area and the hub's physical signs, including the correct floor and numbered meeting point.

   CHECK BEFORE CONTINUINGThe displayed origin and destination match where you can actually meet the car and where you intend to arrive.

4. 04

   Review service and wait for a confirmed match

   Choose the category and read the displayed pricing basis, passenger/luggage capacity and any relevant conditions. A price estimate and a matched car are different stages. After matching, check the vehicle, plate and pickup instructions in the order.

   CHECK BEFORE CONTINUINGThe order shows an assigned vehicle and a meeting point you can locate.

5. 05

   Match the car and follow the confirmation prompt

   Compare the physical plate with the order before entering. Keep the order screen visible and follow the requested number confirmation. Shanghai's published guide describes the last four digits of the registered phone number; actual prompts or taxi categories may vary.

   CHECK BEFORE CONTINUINGYou and the driver agree that this is the correct order, car and destination.

6. 06

   Use the order's communication tools

   If you cannot find each other, send the exact pickup marker and floor through the app's messaging route. The provider advertises English–Chinese translation. A brief concrete message is easier to act on than a general description such as 'outside the station'.

   CHECK BEFORE CONTINUINGThe driver has the relevant meeting details without you moving blindly between exits.

7. 07

   Check completion and payment

   At the destination, collect your belongings and check the order's final status and fare. For wallet bookings, payment follows that wallet's authorised route. If settlement fails, resolve it within the original order rather than paying a second unfamiliar code without understanding the first charge.

   CHECK BEFORE CONTINUINGThe correct trip is completed, payment is settled or clearly documented for support, and you have your belongings.

If it does not work

Words that help

Show the Chinese text when speaking is difficult. Copying happens on your device.

Your data line, registered number and payment are separate

DiDi's provider description supports global mobile-number login and international payment cards. That is an advertised route for visitors, not a guarantee for every country code, issuer or account. Install and check the service before an urgent ride. If you change SIMs on arrival, the account may still use the original number; know which digits and contact method belong to the booking.

If your travel eSIM is data-only, retain whatever access you need to your home number for verification. A new local SIM does not automatically update your wallet or ride account. When a payment fails, read whether the message concerns account access, card authentication, funding or the final ride charge; changing the pickup location will not fix a bank rejection.

Direct app, Alipay and WeChat are distinct booking channels

The Shanghai government's DiDi guide, updated July 2026, describes the direct app and wallet entry points. A ride booked inside Alipay is settled through its Alipay arrangement; a WeChat booking follows its WeChat Pay arrangement. Linking a card inside the standalone app does not necessarily configure the wallet version.

Use the channel whose account and funding you have prepared. Remember where the order lives so you can retrieve the plate, contact support or check payment later. Do not assume an order in one app appears in every other entry point. Menu labels can change; follow the current service and language settings rather than a screenshot from a different version.

At a busy hub, a pin needs an exit, a floor and a sign

Before requesting the car, decide whether you are actually ready to reach the pickup. Collect checked luggage, read the hub's signs and confirm the designated ride-hailing area. A car directly below you on the map may be on another road level. The nearest station entrance is not necessarily a legal or accessible pickup spot.

Keep the exact Chinese hotel or destination address available as a screenshot or on paper. Check similarly named properties and the intended station or airport terminal. A hotel name supplied by a booking site can differ from a local map label; compare the street and location rather than trusting the first English match. If changing destination or pickup, check that the driver and order reflect the change.

Confirm the plate, then the order details

The official city guide advises matching the plate and confirms a registered-phone digit check. You can show the order screen if speaking the digits is difficult. Follow the actual prompt; do not memorise an inflexible two- or four-digit rule for every category. A booking under a different registered number may explain why the digits on your current SIM are irrelevant.

If a vehicle does not match the displayed order, pause and resolve it through the booking channel before entering. Translation can help you communicate the pickup marker and destination, but it does not make an unmatched car the booked car. Keep the message specific: an entrance number, floor and visible sign are useful information.

A signed taxi queue is a practical alternative

An app queue can be long, or its pickup walk may be inconvenient with luggage. Compare the signed official taxi queue at the hub instead of assuming app matching is always the best option. Show the destination in Chinese and confirm the payment arrangements before the trip. Use the city taxi's applicable meter or published service arrangement; do not carry an app estimate across as a guaranteed taxi fare.

A taxi's direct foreign-card acceptance should not be assumed from DiDi's card support. Shanghai's payment guidance makes acceptance conditional on the displayed networks and terminal. A modest supply of RMB can provide a separate route when locally accepted, but confirm that arrangement rather than expecting every app ride to accept cash.

After the ride: keep the order and check your belongings

Before leaving the vehicle, check the seat, floor and luggage compartment for your phone, bag and passport. If something is missing afterwards, reopen the completed order and use the available driver-contact or support route. Provide the trip time, route, plate and a clear description of the item. Do not invent a support-menu name if the current app shows different labels.

For a street or queue taxi, retain the receipt and note the plate when possible; those details help identify the operator. If your phone is the lost item, use another device or ask your accommodation for help contacting the service with the journey information you retained. Lost property, an unresolved charge and an urgent personal-safety situation require different assistance; use emergency services when there is an immediate emergency.

Common questions