Meituan 美团

China’s food delivery app, also for groceries and local deals. The easiest way for visitors is the Meituan mini-program inside Alipay: no new account, your card is already linked, and it can switch to English.

UsefulBefore you fly or after you landWorks with your own phone numberTakes foreign cards

App Store Android

Set it up at home

1
Set up Alipay first
You do not need the Meituan app to order food. With Alipay set up and your card linked, search “美团外卖” (Meituan delivery) in Alipay and open the mini-program. It logs you in with your Alipay account.
2
Switch the language
Alipay can show mini-programs in other languages with one tap. Menus and dish names may still be partly in Chinese, so shops with photos are easier, and your phone’s screen translation helps.
3
Or install the app
The full app (“美团” from Sankuai Technology) also covers groceries, deals and hotels. Visa, Mastercard and Discover cards can reportedly be added in its wallet. Avoid look-alike apps such as “MEITUAN Global”, which is not Meituan.

Using it in China

Ordering to your hotel

Pick your hotel from the map or search it by its Chinese name (copy it from your booking), then add the room number. Many hotels do not let couriers go upstairs, so write 放前台 (“leave at the front desk”) in the note.

Watch the in-app chat

The courier may call you through a relay number, which can fail with a foreign number. Keep mobile data on, follow the rider on the map and go down to the lobby when they are close.

Bikes: use Alipay

Meituan bikes ask for ID checks that are harder with a foreign passport. Hellobike inside Alipay is usually simpler: search “哈啰” in Alipay and scan the bike’s code.

Problems and fixes

No verification code in the Meituan app

Text messages to foreign numbers do not always arrive. Use the Meituan delivery mini-program inside Alipay instead, which logs you in with Alipay.

My foreign card is declined

Pay through Alipay: users report it is the most reliable for foreign cards on Meituan. If it still fails, try a smaller order and check that your bank allows payments in China.

The courier can’t find me

Choose the hotel from the map instead of typing an English address, write 放前台 in the note, and meet the courier at the entrance or the front desk.