Oleh Manyu
6 Julai 2026
When traveling in China, have you ever found yourself starving and exhausted after a full day of sightseeing, returning to your hotel, not wanting to go out, but not knowing how to order takeout? At times like these, these apps can save the day! With just a few taps on your phone, you can have delicious food delivered straight to your hotel, and often faster than you might expect. Some even offer lower prices than dining in restaurants! (There are lots of big discount coupons too! 👀)
In this guide, I’ll introduce the most practical Chinese food delivery apps, how to set them up, and how to place an order, so you can eat comfortably while traveling!
Done with shopping or sightseeing all day and not sure what to eat? Here are four of the most commonly used food delivery apps in China:
| App | Main Features | Suitable For |
|---|---|---|
Meituan (美团外卖) | The largest delivery platform, covering local restaurants and chain brands. | Everyday meals, street food, fast delivery. |
Ele.me (饿了么) | Offers a wide selection, often with discounts, under Alibaba. | Discounted food, trying different flavors. |
Jingdong (京东到家) | JD's delivery service offering both takeout and grocery delivery. | People needing both food and daily essentials. |
Taobao Flash Buy (淘宝闪购) | Delivery service within the Taobao shopping app. | Taobao users who want to order food as well. |
Meituan is one of China’s largest lifestyle service platforms, offering services such as restaurant delivery, hotel bookings, movie tickets, and taxis. Specifically, Meituan Takeout focuses on providing food delivery. Whether you’re a local resident or a tourist, you can use Meituan Takeout to order from nearby restaurants, with affordable prices, a wide selection, clear pricing, pictures, and reviews.
Tip: Even with the Chinese interface, many icons and pictures are intuitive. If you don’t understand Chinese, you can use a translation app to help.
Register with your international phone number and verify with an SMS code. You can also log in using WeChat or Alipay.
Allow Meituan to access your location, or manually enter your address.
Meituan supports WeChat Pay and Alipay. Make sure your payment apps are linked to a credit or debit card for smooth transactions.
Tap the “Takeout” icon (usually the first icon).
Tip: Choose restaurants with high ratings (yellow stars) and delivery times under 45 minutes.Browse nearby restaurants or search for the food you want.
Some restaurants charge a small delivery fee (¥3–¥6), and many have minimum order requirements, but you can usually meet them by adding a drink or side dish.
Select your dishes and click “Select Specifications” to confirm. After reviewing your cart, click “Go to Checkout” to pay. If you have a coupon, the system will apply it automatically, or you can select it manually.
Pay via WeChat Pay or Alipay, and you will receive a confirmation message once successful.
You can track the delivery driver’s real-time progress on the map. Many drivers will call when they arrive, and if you don’t speak Chinese, you can ask the hotel staff for help or text the driver: “I’m in the lobby.”
After the meal is delivered, you can give a star rating and leave a short review. This not only helps other users but keeps your Meituan account active, which might earn you discounts on future orders.
Ele.me (Ele.me) is another major food delivery platform in China. It is affiliated with Alibaba and connects nearby restaurants, coffee shops, milk tea shops, and even supermarkets. In addition to food and beverage delivery, Ele.me also provides daily necessities and convenience store product delivery services, which is very suitable for those who want to enjoy snacks in the dead of night or lazy to go out while shopping. Compared to Meituan, Ele.me often offers various discounts and coupons that can help you save more money when traveling in China.
1. Download the APP
iPhone users: Switch the App Store region to China and search for "Ele.me" to install.
Android users: You can find Ele.me on Google Play, or download it from the domestic app store, or get it through the official website of Ele.me.
2. Registration and Login
Use your international mobile phone number to register and verify, you can also log in quickly through Alipay or WeChat.
3. Set the shipping address
to allow the location function to be used, or enter the address manually, ensuring that the correct Chinese address is entered.
4. Bind payment methods
Ele.me supports Alipay and WeChat Pay, make sure that the payment app you bound has sufficient balance or has a credit card bound.
1. Browse or search for food and beverage
Scroll through popular restaurants, or select a restaurant by filter to see ratings and delivery times, or simply search for the dish you want to eat.
2. Check for deals
Look out for items with discounts, free delivery, or set menus, which are displayed through labels or banners.
3. Add to cart
Click the "Add" or "+" button, select the dish you want, view the picture and price, and customize the taste (e.g. spiciness, toppings, etc.).
44. Confirm the order and pay
Check the shopping cart and select the appropriate coupon, confirm and pay for the order. You'll see a summary of your order and estimated delivery time.
5. Real-time tracking delivery
can track the location of the delivery person in real time, if necessary, you can call or contact the delivery person through the APP.
6. Review
the meal and enjoy it after it arrives! Don't forget to leave a star rating or a short review.
Discover the world with trip.com! Book the perfect hotel anywhere in the world and get an unbeatable 10% discount if you're a first-time user! If this is your second time using it, you will receive a 5% discount! Download our app now and start planning your next trip with ease.
Just click this link and download the Trip.com App, after successfully registering as a member, use it when you place an order!
Use our promo code to enjoy up to 10% OFF on your attraction tickets, tours and eSIMs! There is also a 5% OFF for new users!
Use our promo code to enjoy an extra 5% off on your attraction tickets, eSIMs, and tours! ⏳Redeem within 3 days of claiming
JD.com (JD.com) is one of the largest e-commerce platforms in China, similar to Amazon. It is known for fast delivery of electronics, clothing, and everyday items.
In addition to shopping, JD.com recently launched a takeout feature called JD Second Delivery. It lets you deliver cooked food, groceries, snacks, drinks, and daily essentials to your doorstep in 30 to 60 minutes in many cities.
Unlike Meituan and Ele.me, which focus primarily on catering, JD.com combines supermarket takeout with hot food from nearby restaurants.
iPhone users: Switch the App Store region to China, then search for "JD.com" or "JD.com" and install it
Android users: Available on Google Play or downloaded from the app store
Note: The app is mainly in Chinese, but the icons and images are clear. If needed, use the phone translation tool or overlay translation app to help identify key parts
Sign up with your international phone number and verify via SMS. If you already have a JD account, you can also log in.
Allow apps to access your location or enter the address manually. Paste the Chinese version of your location to avoid errors.
JD Daojia supports JD Pay, WeChat Pay and Alipay. Make sure your chosen payment app is set up in advance and linked or topped up with your card for a smooth checkout.
Open JD and click "Send in seconds" at the top.
You will see options such as "takeaway" (takeaway), "supermarket" (supermarket goods), "coffee milk tea" (coffee milk tea), "vegetable fruit" (vegetable fruit), etc. Click on the category you need.
Use the search bar to find favorites.
Click on the product list, browse through the images, and click "+" (add to cart) to select a dish or snack of your choice.
Open the shopping cart to view the items. JD.com often offers "¥10 off ¥30" (¥10 off ¥30) or free shipping options. Tick the appropriate one.
Click Collect Coupon Checkout (Checkout with Coupon), select the payment method, and confirm the order. You'll see the estimated delivery time.
Track your delivery man location and receive notifications. You can also call or message through the app if needed.
Once your order arrives, unpack it and enjoy! Don't forget to leave a rating or review. JD.com rewards reviews with extra points to use on coupons or future orders.
Taobao is China's largest online shopping platform, owned by Alibaba, similar to Lazada or Shopee, but with a wider variety of products and sellers. While most people buy clothing, electronics, and daily necessities through Taobao, Taobao flash sale takeout is also available in some cities.
However, unlike Meituan and Ele.me, Taobao's takeaway services are limited and often combined with Ele.me because they belong to the same system. This means that if you have already shopped on the Taobao App, you can order takeout directly through it without downloading the Ele.me APP.
iPhone users: Download and install from the App Store by searching for "Taobao" or "Taobao"
Android users: You can search for Taobao on the Google Play Store or download it from the app store
Sign up with your international phone number and verify via SMS. If you already have a Taobao/Tmall or Alibaba account, you can use them to log in faster.
Taobao supports Alipay payment. Before placing an order, be sure to confirm that your Alipay account is set up and bound to a credit/debit card.
Grant location permissions in the app.
Click on "Flash Sale" on the homepage to find the takeaway service.
Enter your address and save. This ensures that your order is delivered to the right place.
You'll see a selection of food and beverages offered by Ele.me. Browse by category such as Chinese food, snacks, or drinks. Use the search bar to find a specific category.
Look for labels such as "full discount" (spend X save Y) or "red envelope" (red envelope) to find discounts and free shipping fee offers.
Click on the restaurant, select the dishes you want, and customize them if possible (e.g. spiciness level, extras).
Open the shopping cart to view the items. Select any available coupons or vouchers and check the offer details before placing your order.
Click Checkout, confirm the order, and make the payment. You will receive an estimated delivery time.
View the progress of the courier in real-time through the app.
Once you receive your food, enjoy it! After eating, you can leave a star rating or review for other customers to refer to.
In addition to Meituan, Ele.me, JD Daojia and Taobao flash sale, you can also try the following apps:
Ordering food in China is actually not complicated, even if you don't understand Chinese. With the takeaway app, you can easily enjoy local cuisine at the hotel, whether it's authentic dishes, snacks or drinks. Takeaway is not only convenient and affordable, but also gives you an in-depth understanding of the local food culture. Next time you come to China, don't forget to use the takeaway app to eat happily and save money like a local!
Discover the world with trip.com! Book the perfect hotel anywhere in the world and get an unbeatable 10% discount if you're a first-time user! If this is your second time using it, you will receive a 5% discount! Download our app now and start planning your next trip with ease.
Just click this link and download the Trip.com App, after successfully registering as a member, use it when you place an order!
Use our promo code to enjoy up to 10% OFF on your attraction tickets, tours and eSIMs! There is also a 5% OFF for new users!
Use our promo code to enjoy an extra 5% off on your attraction tickets, eSIMs, and tours! ⏳Redeem within 3 days of claiming
Check out some of China’s must-see spots! 👀
759940 ditempah
