Top China Food Delivery Apps: A Complete Guide for Tourists in 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!

Recommended Chinese Food Delivery Apps

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:

Chinese Food Delivery App: Meituan (美团外卖)

What is Meituan?

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.

How to Download and Set Up Meituan Takeout?

1. Download the App

• iPhone: You might need to switch the App Store region to China, then search for “Meituan” or “Meituan Takeout” to install.
• Android: You can find Meituan on Google Play or download it from a trusted domestic app market or their official website.

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.

2. Register and Log In

Register with your international phone number and verify with an SMS code. You can also log in using WeChat or Alipay.

3. Set Your Location and Address

Allow Meituan to access your location, or manually enter your address.

4. Link Payment Methods

Meituan supports WeChat Pay and Alipay. Make sure your payment apps are linked to a credit or debit card for smooth transactions.

How to Order on Meituan Takeout?

1. Select Delivery Service

Tap the “Takeout” icon (usually the first icon).

2. Browse or Search

Tip: Choose restaurants with high ratings (yellow stars) and delivery times under 45 minutes.Browse nearby restaurants or search for the food you want.

3. Check Delivery Fees and Minimum Orders

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.

4. Place Your Order

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.

5. Payment

Pay via WeChat Pay or Alipay, and you will receive a confirmation message once successful.

6. Track Your Order

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.”

7. Review

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.

Chinese Food Delivery App: Ele.me (饿了么)

What is Ele.me?

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.

How to download and set up Ele.me?

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.

How to order food on Ele.me?

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.

Chinese food delivery app: JD.com

What is JD.com?

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.

How to download and set up Jingdong?

1. Download the app

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

2. Sign up or log in

Sign up with your international phone number and verify via SMS. If you already have a JD account, you can also log in.

3. Enter the shipping address

Allow apps to access your location or enter the address manually. Paste the Chinese version of your location to avoid errors.

4. Link payments

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.

How to order food on JD.com?

1. Select JD Instant Delivery

Open JD and click "Send in seconds" at the top.

2. Browse categories

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.

3. Search or scroll through the list

Use the search bar to find favorites.

4. Select the item

Click on the product list, browse through the images, and click "+" (add to cart) to select a dish or snack of your choice.

5. Check the shopping cart and apply for the offer

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.

6. Place an order

Click Collect Coupon Checkout (Checkout with Coupon), select the payment method, and confirm the order. You'll see the estimated delivery time.

7. Track the order

Track your delivery man location and receive notifications. You can also call or message through the app if needed.

8. Enjoy your orders and reviews

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.

Chinese food delivery app: Taobao

What is Taobao?

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.

How to download and set up Taobao?

1. Download the 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

2. Sign up or log in

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.

3. Set up payment options

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.

4. Enable location

Grant location permissions in the app.

How to order food on Taobao?

1. Open the app and look for flash sales

Click on "Flash Sale" on the homepage to find the takeaway service.

2. Set your shipping address

Enter your address and save. This ensures that your order is delivered to the right place.

3. Browse or search for food

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.

4. Check out offers and promotions

Look for labels such as "full discount" (spend X save Y) or "red envelope" (red envelope) to find discounts and free shipping fee offers.

5. Add items to cart

Click on the restaurant, select the dishes you want, and customize them if possible (e.g. spiciness level, extras).

6. Review the cart and apply the discount

Open the shopping cart to view the items. Select any available coupons or vouchers and check the offer details before placing your order.

7. Checkout and Payment

Click Checkout, confirm the order, and make the payment. You will receive an estimated delivery time.

8. Track your order

View the progress of the courier in real-time through the app.

9. Enjoy the meal and leave a rating

Once you receive your food, enjoy it! After eating, you can leave a star rating or review for other customers to refer to.

Other food delivery apps you can try in China

In addition to Meituan, Ele.me, JD Daojia and Taobao flash sale, you can also try the following apps:

• Dingdong Maicai: Specializing in fresh food and some ready-to-eat meals, it's suitable for those who stay longer or want to try local ingredients.
• Hema: Alibaba's fresh food supermarket, offering hot dishes, sushi, and fruit delivery in 30-60 minutes.
• Yonghui Superstores: A well-known supermarket chain that offers takeaway services for fruits, snacks, and ready-to-eat meals in addition to in-store shopping.

Enjoy Chinese cuisine with ease

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!

Essential Chinese Apps

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