DiDi (滴滴, Didi) is easy once you are standing at an ordinary street pickup point. Airports, railway stations, malls, and hotels are harder because the driver may be close to you but separated by a floor, gate, road, or restricted pickup zone.
My rule for a first ride: do not press Book until you know where the app expects you to stand. The destination is usually the easy part. Finding each other is where the stress begins.
Set up before you land
- Install the official DiDi app or identify the DiDi service inside Alipay.
- Register with a phone number you will keep active.
- Add a payment method and finish any identity step.
- Save your hotel in Chinese and verify the branch.
- Learn the last four digits of the number used for the account.
- Allow location access while using the app.
Book the ride without choosing the wrong place
- Stand somewhere legal and easy for a car to stop.
- Check the blue location dot. Move the pin only if you understand the road and direction.
- Choose the pickup point suggested for your gate, floor, or entrance.
- Enter the destination by Chinese name or confirmed map pin.
- Compare the district, phone number, and branch before booking.
- After matching, check the plate number, car color, and driver’s location.
您好，我在这个上车点等您。
Pronunciation: Ninhao, wo zai zhege shangche dian deng nin.
Hello, I am waiting for you at this pickup point.
If the driver calls and you cannot speak Chinese
Do not panic and do not give a long English explanation. Open the in-app message or translation feature if available. Send your pickup-point name or a photo of the sign above you. A photo of “Gate 6, Level B1” is often more useful than a paragraph.
- Stay at the selected point unless the driver gives a clear new location.
- Send a photo of the gate, pillar number, shop, or road sign.
- Ask the driver to send their location.
- At a hotel, ask the doorman or front desk to speak briefly with the driver.
请问，您能发一下您的位置吗？
Pronunciation: Qingwen, nin neng fa yixia nin de weizhi ma?
Could you please send me your location?
The phone-number check
Some drivers confirm the passenger by asking for the last digits of the account phone number. The exact number of digits can vary by situation. Keep the number in your own notes and show the ride screen if speaking the digits is difficult. See the separate phone-tail guide and fill-in card.
Airports and stations need a different plan
- Follow ride-hailing signs. Private cars may not be allowed to stop at the normal taxi curb.
- Check the level. Arrivals, departures, parking floors, and pickup floors can be separated.
- Do not walk far while the driver circles. If communication fails, cancel according to the app rules and use the official taxi queue.
- Do not follow someone holding a phone and saying “DiDi.” Verify the plate inside your order.
During and after the ride
- Check that the route is moving toward the destination, but remember that local road rules may force a detour.
- Keep the ride order until you have your luggage and belongings.
- Do not pay a second time in cash if the order is already charging in the app unless the app or official support clearly explains why.
- If you leave something behind, use the order’s lost-item or contact function quickly. Save the plate and order number.
If you need to cancel
Read the reason and fee shown in the app. If the driver cannot reach the selected pickup point, use in-app messaging so there is a record. Do not cancel simply because someone at the curb offers you another car.
FAQ
Should I use DiDi for my first airport ride?
Use it if data, payment, and the pickup zone are clear. If you are tired or the pickup area is confusing, the official taxi queue is a perfectly sensible choice.
What if the plate does not match?
Do not get in. Recheck the order and contact the driver through the app.
Can the driver change the price?
The app normally records the fare. Tolls, waiting, route changes, or other items may affect the final amount, but handle disputes through the order record rather than an unrecorded cash argument.
What if my phone is nearly dead?
Screenshot the plate, driver, destination, and order before the battery dies. Tell hotel staff or the driver early. Your phone is also your payment and lost-item record.
Sources worth checking before your trip
Before the car arrives: save the taxi and DiDi phrase cards.