Food Delivery in China

● Which should you use?

Meituan has more restaurants and better coverage. Ele.me has a slightly cleaner interface. Most expats use Meituan. Having both gives you more options and lets you compare prices. Both work inside Alipay as mini-programs — no separate download needed.

• ✓ Yes. Both accept foreign passport verification.
• ✓ No Chinese phone number? You CAN browse but CANNOT order — SMS verification is required for registration.
• ✓ Language: 100% Chinese. Screenshot + translate is your friend. But once you learn the 10–15 key buttons, it becomes muscle memory.
• ✓ Mini-program versions inside Alipay are easier for foreigners because Alipay already has your passport verified. This is the recommended path for first-time users.

● Option A — Alipay mini-program (recommended)

1. Open Alipay.
2. Search 美团外卖 (Meituan) or 饿了么 (Ele.me).
3. Tap the mini-program. It pulls your Alipay-verified identity automatically.
4. Set your delivery address (see Address Entry section below).

● Option B — Standalone app

1. Download Meituan or Ele.me from your app store.
2. Tap 注册 (Register).
3. Enter Chinese phone number.
4. Enter SMS verification code.
5. Set a password.
6. Complete 实名认证 (ID verification) using your passport.

● Search by cuisine

Copy and paste these into the search bar:

汉堡 (burger) · 披萨 (pizza) · 日料 (Japanese) · 韩餐 (Korean) · 沙拉 (salad) · 越南粉 (pho) · 印度菜 (Indian)

● Search by dish

意大利面 (pasta) · 牛排 (steak) · 咖喱 (curry) · 三明治 (sandwich)

● Sort and filter

• ✓ 综合排序 — default sorting
• ✓ 销量最高 — most orders (best signal of quality)
• ✓ 评分最高 — highest rated
• ✓ 距离最近 — closest
• ✓ 免配送费 — free delivery
• ✓ 到店自取 — pickup
• ✓ 品牌 — chain restaurants only

1. Open the app or mini-program. It defaults to your saved address.
2. Browse or search. Tap a restaurant to see the menu with photos.
3. Select items. Tap 选规格 (choose specs) for size, spice level, or options. Common choices: 微辣 (mild spicy), 中辣 (medium), 特辣 (very spicy), 不要辣 (no spicy), 少盐 (less salt), 不要香菜 (no coriander).
4. Review your cart (购物车). Check quantities, estimated total, and delivery time (约XX分钟).
5. Tap 去结算 (checkout). Confirm your address and phone number.
6. Add a note (备注) if needed — e.g. "不要辣" or "放门口" (leave at door).
7. Pay with Alipay or WeChat Pay. The amount is deducted immediately.
8. Track your order. The map shows the rider's location. Status updates: 商家已接单 (restaurant accepted) → 骑手已取餐 (rider picked up) → 骑手正在赶来 (rider on the way).
9. Rider arrives. They typically call your phone. If you cannot answer in Chinese, use the in-app chat. Send "放门口" if you want contactless delivery.

● Address tips

• ✓ Save your home and office addresses before you need to order. The address book (收货地址) is under 我的 → 地址管理.
• ✓ Ask your landlord or a Chinese-speaking colleague to type your address in once. You only need to do this once.
• ✓ Use the map pin feature — apps let you drop a pin on the map. The rider will navigate to the pin. Address accuracy matters less with a correct pin.
• ✓ For hotels: Search the hotel name in Chinese. The app autocompletes the address.

• ✓ Riders almost always call when they arrive. They will speak rapid Chinese.
• ✓ Best strategy: do NOT answer. Use the in-app chat. Type short messages.
• ✓ Common rider calls decoded: "外卖到了" (food arrived), "你在哪" (where are you), "放哪里" (where should I put it).
• ✓ Most buildings have a delivery shelf (外卖架) at the entrance. Riders leave food there by default.
• ✓ No tipping culture. Riders are paid per delivery and are in a hurry. The best thing you can do is be at the door quickly.
• ✓ During bad weather: Delivery fees increase and wait times double. Order earlier than usual during rain.

● Vegetarian

Search 素食 (vegetarian food). Many listings have a 素食 tag. But cross-contamination is common — order from explicitly vegetarian restaurants. Temple-side restaurants (often found near Buddhist temples) are reliably vegetarian.

● Halal

Search 清真 (halal). Look for the 清真 (green halal certification) label on restaurant listings. Mostly northwest Chinese cuisine — Lanzhou noodles, Xinjiang food. Reliable and widely available in all cities.

● Gluten-free

Very difficult. Soy sauce (in nearly everything) contains wheat. Search 无麸质 (gluten-free) but expect limited results. Most gluten-free expats cook at home or stick to a small set of known-safe restaurants.

● Wrong order or missing items

Go to 我的 → 我的订单 → select the order → 申请退款 (request refund) → select the item → upload a photo → write a reason. 90% of the time the refund is processed within hours.

● Food never arrived but marked delivered

Same refund process. Provide a screenshot of your empty doorstep if possible. The platform checks the rider's GPS trail.

● Rider cannot find you

They will call. Use the in-app chat to send a photo of your building entrance. This is the fastest way to resolve location confusion.

● Food quality issue

Take a photo immediately. Refund request → select 食品安全 (food safety). This is taken seriously by the platform.

● Cannot reach the rider

In the order page, tap 联系骑手 (contact rider). If no response after 10 minutes, contact 客服 (customer service).

• ✓ Most restaurants: 10:00–22:00.
• ✓ Late night: Filter by 夜宵 (midnight snack). Available until 02:00–04:00 in big cities.
• ✓ Breakfast: Search 早餐. Limited options, mostly Chinese — 包子 (steamed buns), 油条 (fried dough), 豆浆 (soy milk).
• ✓ Groceries: Both apps have 超市/便利店 (supermarket/convenience store) sections. Order water, snacks, toiletries, fresh produce. Delivery in 30–60 minutes.
• ✓ Medicine: 买药 (buy medicine) section on both apps. Over-the-counter medicines only. Prescription upload required for prescription drugs. Useful when you are too ill to go out.