Meituan in English: Food Delivery & Services Guide for Foreigners (2026)

You're in your hotel room in Shanghai. It's 10 PM. You're starving. The hotel restaurant is closed. You don't speak Chinese. What do you do?

Meituan (美团) — that's what 700 million Chinese people do. It's China's largest food delivery, grocery, and local services platform. Think DoorDash + Instacart + Groupon, all in one app.

The bad news: it's almost entirely in Chinese. The good news: with the right tricks, foreigners can absolutely use it.

What Is Meituan?

Meituan (owned by Meituan Inc., listed on Hong Kong Stock Exchange) is an everything-app for daily life in China:

Service	What It Does	Useful for Tourists?
Food Delivery (外卖)	Order from any restaurant	✅ Very useful
Grocery Delivery (买菜)	Fresh groceries in 30 min	✅ If you're self-catering
Restaurant Deals (到店)	Dine-in coupons & booking	✅ Great discounts
Hotel Booking	Hotels & hostels	⚠️ Chinese ID usually required
Movie Tickets	Cinema bookings	⚠️ Chinese-only screenings
Bike Sharing	Meituan yellow bikes	✅ Scan and ride

For tourists, food delivery is the killer feature. You can get food from virtually any restaurant delivered to your hotel in 20-40 minutes.

How to Download & Register

Download

• iPhone: Search "美团" in App Store (yellow kangaroo icon)
• Android: Search "Meituan" in Google Play, or download from meituan.com

Register

1. Open the app → tap 我的 (Me/bottom right)
2. Choose to login with phone number
3. Enter your phone number (international numbers work)
4. Enter the SMS verification code
5. Done — no Chinese ID required for food delivery

Tip: If you have WeChat, you can also login directly with your WeChat account.

How to Order Food Delivery (Step by Step)

1. Set Your Delivery Address

This is the trickiest part for foreigners:

1. Tap 外卖 (Food Delivery) on the home screen
2. Tap the location bar at the top
3. The app will try to use your GPS location — let it
4. Critical: You need to enter your address in Chinese. Here's how:
   • Ask your hotel front desk for the address in Chinese characters
   • Or use Baidu Maps to find your location, then copy the Chinese address
   • Save it — you'll reuse it

2. Browse Restaurants

Once your address is set, you'll see nearby restaurants with:

• Photos of dishes (the most useful feature for non-Chinese speakers)
• Star ratings (same 5-star system as everywhere)
• Monthly sales (月销 = monthly orders — higher = more popular)
• Delivery time (usually 20-45 minutes)
• Delivery fee (usually ¥2-8)

3. Order Using Photos

Here's the secret that makes Meituan usable without Chinese:

• Almost every restaurant has photos of every dish
• Tap a restaurant → browse the menu by photos
• Tap the + button to add items to your cart
• Common Chinese menu sections:
  • 热销 = Best sellers (start here!)
  • 套餐 = Set meals / combos
  • 主食 = Rice & noodle dishes
  • 饮料 = Drinks
  • 小吃 = Snacks / sides

4. Checkout & Pay

1. Tap the cart icon at the bottom
2. Review your order (check the photos match what you want)
3. Confirm your address
4. Payment: Use Alipay or WeChat Pay — these are the only payment options
5. Add a note (备注) if needed — type in English, some riders can understand basic words. Or use Google Translate to write something like "请放在前台" (Please leave at front desk)

5. Track & Receive

• The app shows a real-time map of your rider
• Typical delivery: 20-40 minutes
• The rider will call you when they arrive — if you can't answer in Chinese, just go to the lobby
• Pro tip: Set your note to "请放在大堂前台" (Please leave at lobby front desk) to avoid phone call confusion

Translation Hacks for Meituan

Since the app is in Chinese, here are practical workarounds:

Method 1: Screenshot + Translate

1. Take a screenshot of any Chinese text
2. Open Google Translate → camera mode → import the screenshot
3. Read the translation

Method 2: iPhone Live Translate

1. On iOS 16+, you can translate text directly in any app
2. Long-press Chinese text → Translate

Method 3: Float Google Translate

1. Open Google Translate in split-screen/floating mode
2. Copy Chinese text from Meituan → paste into Translate
3. Works on most Android phones

Meituan vs Ele.me: Which to Use?

Feature	Meituan (美团)	Ele.me (饿了么)
Market share	~65%	~35%
Restaurant count	More restaurants	Fewer, but some exclusives
Payment	Alipay + WeChat	Alipay only (Alibaba-owned)
Delivery speed	Generally faster	Similar
Discounts	More frequent new-user promos	Occasional big coupons

Recommendation: Download Meituan first. If a specific restaurant isn't on it, try Ele.me.

Meituan vs Dianping: What's the Difference?

This confuses a lot of tourists. Both are owned by the same company, but they serve different purposes:

• Dianping = Finding restaurants (reviews, ratings, photos) → like Yelp
• Meituan = Ordering delivery + deals → like DoorDash + Groupon

Best combo: Use Dianping to find highly-rated restaurants near you, then check if they're on Meituan for delivery or dine-in coupons.

Beyond Food: Other Useful Meituan Features

Meituan Bike (美团单车)

The yellow bikes you see everywhere in Chinese cities:

1. Open Meituan → tap 骑车 (Ride)
2. Scan the QR code on any yellow bike
3. Ride anywhere, park at any bike rack
4. ¥1.5 per 15 minutes

Grocery Delivery (美团买菜)

Get fresh vegetables, fruit, meat, and daily essentials delivered in 30 minutes:

• Great if you're staying in an Airbnb or apartment
• Minimum order usually ¥20-30
• Much cheaper than convenience stores

Common Problems & Solutions

"I can't read the menu"

→ Use the photo browsing method described above. Sort by 热销 (Best Sellers) — these always have photos and are the safest choices.

"The rider called me but I don't speak Chinese"

→ Don't answer. Just go to the lobby/entrance of your building. Or set the delivery note to "请放在前台" (leave at front desk).

"My payment was rejected"

→ Make sure your Alipay has sufficient balance or a linked card. International credit cards sometimes decline on Meituan — try WeChat Pay as backup.

"The food came wrong"

→ Tap 订单 (Orders) → find your order → tap 申请退款 (Apply for refund). Meituan's refund process is surprisingly fast and fair.

FAQ

Can foreigners use Meituan?

Yes. You need a phone number (international works) and Alipay/WeChat Pay. No Chinese ID required for food delivery.

Is Meituan delivery safe to eat?

Yes. Food delivery is extremely mainstream in China — office workers, families, and students all use it daily. Restaurants are rated and reviewed.

What are typical delivery fees?

¥2-8 for most orders. Many restaurants offer free delivery for orders over ¥20-30. There may be a small-order surcharge under ¥15.

Does Meituan deliver to hotels?

Yes. Set your address to the hotel. Add a note with your room number. The rider will usually leave the food at the front desk or call you to come down.

Can I order alcohol on Meituan?

Yes. Many convenience stores on Meituan sell beer, wine, and spirits. Delivery is available until late at night.

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Need help setting up Alipay or WeChat Pay first? The China Survival Kit walks you through everything step by step.