DiDi is China’s leading ride-hailing app, founded in 2012: it books taxis, private cars, premium cars, carpools, chauffeurs, buses and freight vans from a smartphone. Expats use it every day, from the DiDi app or its mini programs in WeChat and Alipay, and pay with WeChat Pay or Alipay. Companies can also manage their employees’ rides with it.
What can you book with DiDi?
DiDi started with ride-hailing and grew into a one-stop mobility service:
- Rides: Express, Premier, Taxi, carpooling (Hitch), designated drivers (Chauffeur) and luxury cars.
- Public transportation and travel: bus and metro information, intercity rides, train and plane tickets, car rentals and hotels.
- Freight and moving: vans of several sizes for deliveries and moves, booked from DiDi Freight.
- Shared bikes: Qingju, DiDi’s light green bikes, compared with Meituan Bike and Hello Bike in our article on bike sharing in China.
How does DiDi work for foreigners?
- Matching: the app quickly matches you with a nearby driver, which shortens waiting times.
- Language: you can send messages to the driver that the app translates, which helps when you do not speak Chinese.
- Safety: trip sharing, emergency contacts, one-tap emergency assistance and driver background checks.
- Payment: WeChat Pay and Alipay, linked to your account.
- Saved places and bookings: frequent addresses and scheduled rides, for example to the airport.
DiDi is one of the apps our guide to the best apps for Shanghai recommends installing first, next to WeChat, Alipay and a map app.
Why is DiDi also a mini program?
Many people never download the DiDi app: they open DiDi inside WeChat or Alipay as a mini program, with the same services and the payment already set up. This shows how Chinese users expect apps to work: inside the super apps they already use, without a new download or a new account. Our guide to mini program platforms in China explains how this model works on Alipay, WeChat and Douyin.
What can a company do with DiDi?
DiDi offers business rides for companies: employees book rides for work, and the company pays and follows the expenses centrally instead of handling individual receipts. Companies that ship goods in a city can also book vans through DiDi Freight. For a brand designing its own app for Chinese users, DiDi is a useful reference: payment in one tap, real-time tracking, and a mini program version in WeChat and Alipay. To build one, talk to a mobile app development agency in China.
How QPSoftware can help
Apps like DiDi set what Chinese users expect: fast booking, WeChat Pay and Alipay, live tracking, and a mini program next to the native app. QPSoftware’s Chinese app developers design and build iOS and Android apps and WeChat Mini Programs for foreign companies in China, and prepare their launch on Chinese app stores.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can foreigners use DiDi in China?
Yes. Foreigners use DiDi every day in Chinese cities, from the app or from its mini programs in WeChat and Alipay. A WeChat Pay or Alipay account is enough to pay, and the in-app translated messages help to talk to the driver. Set up the payment before your first ride, and save your home and office addresses to book faster.
Is DiDi available in English?
DiDi offers an English interface and translated messages with the driver, which most foreign users rely on. Addresses and place names are often easier to find in Chinese, so keeping the Chinese name of your destination at hand saves time. The mini programs in WeChat and Alipay follow the language of the host app.
Can a company pay for its employees’ DiDi rides?
Yes. DiDi has a business ride service for companies: employees book rides for work and the company pays and follows the expenses centrally, without individual receipts. For goods, DiDi Freight books vans of several sizes for deliveries and moves within a city.