Short answer
Yes, you can use DiDi in mainland China without a Chinese phone number. The official DiDi app accepts an overseas number: pick your country code, type your number, and the verification code arrives by SMS to that same number. Your own number has to receive a text while you are in China, which means roaming switched on or a home plan that receives texts abroad. The app then runs in English, with a translation chat.
A second route skips app registration entirely: the ride-hailing entry inside Alipay, which uses the account you are already signed into. Do the setup at home either way, with a payment method added, not at the airport.
One trap worth knowing now: "DiDi Rider" is the international version and does not work inside mainland China, because it is built for overseas markets. If you installed it and the map shows no cars, that is why, not your account.
The ways that work
Both routes work from a foreign number, and their failure modes differ, so set up both.
Option 1: the ride-hailing entry inside Alipay
No second registration and no second code, which is why most visitors use it.
- Finish Alipay setup firstThe ride charges to your Alipay balance or its linked card, so verify and fund the account first. See setting up Alipay as a foreigner.
- Open the ride-hailing entryOn the Alipay home screen tap Transport (the car icon), then Taxi. If that icon is missing, search "DiDi" in the Alipay bar and open the mini program.
- Check the pickup pin, then set the destinationThe pin drifts to the wrong side of a wide road or the wrong mall exit, so move it. Keep the Chinese name of the place too.
- Ride and let Alipay settle itPayment is taken after the trip. Nothing to configure inside the mini program.
The trade-off: payment stays inside Alipay, so a risk-control hold on that account stops your rides too. See Alipay account restricted.
Option 2: the official DiDi app
Take this route for more car categories and saved addresses.
- Install the right appSearch "DiDi" and choose the listing for mainland China ride hailing. The two apps share similar branding, so check the listing name and developer, not the icon.
- Register with your own numberChoose your country code, enter your mobile number, then type the SMS code. This is the only step that depends on your home number working.
- Give your name exactly as it is in your passportNot a nickname or a shortened version; verification is checked against this name.
- Switch the interface to EnglishProfile, then Settings, then Language.
- Expect real-name verificationMainland rules require ride-hailing passengers to verify identity and foreign visitors are not exempt, so a passport step during setup is normal.
- Add a payment method, then take one short test rideHotel to landmark, not a crowded terminal lane.
| Ride-hailing inside Alipay | Official DiDi app | |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | None extra, your Alipay login is enough | Foreign number plus one SMS code |
| Depends on | Alipay verified and funded | Your number receiving an SMS in China |
| Payment | Alipay only | Card, Alipay, WeChat Pay |
| Main failure | An Alipay hold stops your rides too | Some foreign numbers fail registration |
Binding a foreign card
DiDi says it supports international cards, and if you use the app directly the card goes in one place: Profile, then Wallet, then Payment Methods. Visa and Mastercard are the common networks, though acceptance still depends on the issuer, so add it early and test it on a short ride.
The real choice is not which card, it is where the card sits:
- Card bound inside DiDi. The fare is charged to the card after each ride. One place to manage payment, and one place for a bank-side block.
- Payment left to Alipay. Book through the Alipay entry and let Alipay settle the ride with the card attached there instead. Fewer steps, same foreign-card fee rules.
- Both at once. Perfectly fine. Auto-deduct on one, the other as fallback, so a single decline does not strand you.
Adding a card usually triggers a 3D Secure or one-time-password check sent to the number your bank holds, which is often not the DiDi number, so make sure both can receive messages. A decline is more often your bank's fraud filter than a DiDi problem. The wider picture is in our guide to paying in China as a foreigner.
When to take a taxi instead
DiDi covers most cities, but ride-hailing is a phone-dependent product. This page only solves the phone-number obstacle, so for meters, fares and metro ticketing use our guide to metros and taxis in China. Take a taxi or the metro when:
- Your data has run out. A ride-hailing car needs a live app. A taxi needs your hand. On a data-only plan, see eSIM options for China first.
- You could not register at all. No SMS arriving and no verified Alipay. Flag a taxi and fix the app later at the hotel on wifi.
- You are at an airport. At many terminals the ride-hailing pickup is a walk and a level change from arrivals, while the taxi rank is at the door. See airport transfers in China.
- It is very late at a small station. In county towns and at secondary railway stations the number of drivers online at 1am can be close to zero.
- You want to pay cash. DiDi is not a cash product. Cash belongs to street taxis: see cash and ATMs in China.
- It is a two-stop hop in heavy traffic. The metro is faster and cheaper in city centres, and it does not care about your phone number.
One habit that protects both routes: save your hotel name and address in Chinese, plus a screenshot of the map pin. Drivers match characters, not pronunciation. See the translation apps guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can I really use DiDi without a Chinese phone number?
Yes. The official app accepts overseas numbers and sends the code to your own number, so you need SMS delivery rather than a Chinese SIM, and the Alipay entry needs no registration at all. What fails is the international DiDi Rider app.
The verification SMS never arrives. What now?
Check that roaming is on and that your home plan receives texts abroad, because an SMS to a number that cannot receive messages never lands. Re-enter the country code, check spam and any blocker, then try a second number. Switch to the Alipay entry if it still fails; it needs no new code. A data-only eSIM has no number that receives SMS.
The driver is calling me and I do not speak Chinese. What now?
You do not have to answer. DiDi's in-app chat translates both ways: type English, the driver reads Chinese, and replies come back in English. Pre-set messages such as "I have arrived at the pickup point" are built in. Send a message and watch the car icon.
Can a DiDi driver call my foreign number?
Driver contact runs through the platform rather than exposing your real number. Whether a call reaches you depends on your phone: on a data-only eSIM, or with voice roaming off, it will not ring through, so use the in-app chat. Drivers may ask for the last digits of the booking number as a check.
Can I pay a DiDi driver in cash?
Assume no. DiDi is cashless, and standard ride categories settle through your bound card, Alipay or WeChat Pay. Some traditional taxi categories can differ, but do not plan around it. With only cash, take a street taxi.
How do I find the pickup point at an airport?
Do not follow the taxi signs. Airports separate the two: the taxi rank is curbside at arrivals, while ride-hailing has its own zone, sometimes a specific parking level or gate. Allow 10 to 15 minutes of walking, and chat your level and door number if it is unclear.
Do I have to show my passport to use DiDi?
Not to the driver, but you must complete real-name verification when you set the account up. Ride-hailing passengers in mainland China are subject to identity verification by regulation and foreign visitors are not exempt, so a passport step during setup is normal.
What if registration with my foreign number fails completely?
Use the Alipay ride-hailing entry, since it relies on an account you already have. If you want the full app, a Chinese SIM gives you a number that receives local messages. Taxis, the metro and cash still work meanwhile.
Related reading
If the app is not the problem and the account is, see Alipay account restricted. For the wider setup order, see essential apps for China and SIM cards in China.
Compiled from DiDi app registration and payment documentation, Alipay ride-hailing help pages and user reports from foreign visitors, cross-checked 28 September 2026. App names, menu paths and verification steps change between versions and app stores, so the wording shown in your own app at registration is the authoritative version. Nothing on this page is financial or legal advice.