Food delivery in China is fast, cheap, and genuinely impressive. Meals show up in 25-35 minutes. The selection rivals what you'd find at a restaurant. Prices are often lower than eating in. For anyone spending more than a few days in China, getting a food delivery app working is worth the setup time.
The two dominant platforms are Eleme (饿了么, owned by Alibaba) and Meituan (美团). Both are functional for foreign visitors with some limitations. This guide breaks down which is easier to set up, which works better for foreigners, and what to do when you hit friction.
Short Answer
Eleme is generally easier for foreign visitors to set up because it integrates more smoothly with Alipay, which is the payment method most foreigners already have set up. If you've already linked a foreign card to Alipay, Eleme becomes usable with minimal extra steps.
Meituan has a larger restaurant selection in most cities, but its payment and account setup is more China-phone-number dependent.
If you can only set up one: start with Eleme.
Eleme (饿了么) — The Foreigner-Friendly Option
What it is: Alibaba's food delivery platform, integrated with the Alipay ecosystem.
Why it works for foreigners:
- Payment through Alipay's international version works
- App interface has partial English translation (not perfect, but navigable)
- Account creation is possible with an international number in some cases
- Deep integration with Alipay means you don't need a separate Chinese payment method
Setup path:
- Download Eleme from the App Store or Google Play
- Register with your phone number (international numbers work for SMS verification)
- Link Alipay as your payment method — this is the smoothest path
- Set your delivery address (use the map picker rather than trying to type the address in Chinese)
Limitation: Some restaurants only list in Chinese. Translation apps (point your camera at the screen) help, but the experience isn't fully English.
Meituan (美团) — Bigger Selection, More Friction
What it is: The dominant platform in China, covering food delivery, hotel booking, bike share, event tickets, and more.
Why people use it: Larger restaurant coverage in most cities, especially outside of tier-1 cities. More deals and promotional pricing.
Why it's harder for foreigners:
- The app is almost entirely in Chinese with no English interface
- Payment setup previously required a Chinese bank card or WeChat Pay, though this has improved
- Account creation requires a Chinese phone number in some regions
- The mini-program version inside WeChat can sometimes be easier to navigate than the standalone app
If you want to use Meituan: Set up WeChat Pay with a foreign bank card first. Then access Meituan through the WeChat mini-program (search Meituan inside WeChat). This avoids the phone registration issue.
For most short-stay tourists, the extra friction isn't worth it unless you're staying somewhere with limited Eleme coverage.
Payment: The Main Barrier
Both apps require a working Chinese payment method. The cleanest setup for foreigners:
Alipay with a foreign card → works on Eleme directly WeChat Pay with a foreign card → works on Meituan via WeChat mini-program
If you haven't set up either of these yet, getting Alipay working is the higher-priority task. Eleme follows naturally.
Cash payment is not available for delivery apps.
Setting Your Delivery Address Without Reading Chinese
This is the trickiest part for visitors. You need to set a Chinese address for delivery.
How to do it without speaking Chinese:
- Open the map picker in Eleme (there's usually a location pin icon)
- Allow the app to use your location — this auto-fills the approximate address
- Add the floor/room number if needed (building number + room number, e.g., "3楼301" = Floor 3, Room 301)
- Many hotels have staff who can help you enter your room number correctly
Most visitors staying at hotels just deliver to the hotel address. Ask the front desk for the exact Chinese address they'd use for delivery — they have this ready.
Language: Ordering When You Can't Read the Menu
Camera translation: Open your phone's camera (or Google Translate camera mode) and point it at the menu. You get a rough translation.
Look for photos: Both apps show food photos for most items. Photos > translated text for choosing food.
Filter by ratings: The star rating system works without reading Chinese. 4.8+ with high order volume is a reliable signal.
Search by restaurant type: If you know the cuisine type in Chinese — 日料 (Japanese), 汉堡 (burgers), 粥 (congee), 面 (noodles) — you can search for it directly.
Rider contact: If there's a delivery issue, the driver will call your phone number. Have your phone on and ready. If you can't communicate, texting "门口等" (mén kǒu děng — waiting at door) is usually understood.
Practical Tips for Foreigners
Minimum order amounts: Most restaurants have a minimum order (usually RMB 15-30). For a single person, this is easy to hit.
Delivery fees: Usually RMB 3-8. Much lower than what you'd expect if you're coming from Western markets.
Delivery time: Listed times are accurate. Chinese delivery culture is fast. 25-40 minutes is typical.
Leaving instructions: If your hotel or apartment has a lobby pickup rather than room delivery, there's usually a note field in the order. "请放在前台" (please leave at front desk) works for hotels.
Reviews: The review system is dense and in Chinese, but star ratings are reliable signals. Restaurants with thousands of orders and 4.7+ stars are genuinely good.
A Simpler Option If Setup Is Too Much Work
If setting up Alipay and Eleme is more than you want to deal with for a short stay, ask your hotel concierge. Many hotels in larger cities will order delivery for guests or can point you to a nearby option that doesn't require app navigation.
For a stay of a week or more though, getting the app working is worth the 20 minutes it takes.
Want More China Travel Setup Help?
If you're sorting out payments, transport, and apps before a trip to China, the ChinaEasey travel setup guide covers the full stack. Getting the app layer right before you land makes everything else easier.
Need more than the guide?
This guide covers the basics. If real-world friction shows up, you can compare the support options and choose the level of human backup that fits your trip.