Useful Apps in China

Apps that can help you travel in China.

useful apps

Note: The recommended apps below have not charged any sponsorship fees. the purpose of recommendation is to provide tourists with a better experience.

useful-apps

Plane Tickets / Train Tickets / Attractions Tickets

In China, there are official websites and apps for booking train and plane tickets:

And tickets for attractions are usually booked through WeChat.

However, the internationalization of these apps' languages is not done well, which is a disaster for foreigners who do not understand Chinese when using them.

And many apps, such as 12306, WeChat, require identity verification before use, which also poses a challenge for many tourists.

So China Go Trip recommends the following app:

Trip.com

Trip.com

Book plane tickets, train tickets, and attractions tickets.

Payment Apps

The most popular payment method in China currently is digital payment. The most widely accepted ones are Alipay and WeChat Pay.

Alipay & WeChatPay Payment Coverage

Payment Coverage
Alipay
WeChat Pay
In-store purchaseYesYes
Online purchaseYesYes
Didi (taxi service)YesYes
Food delivery orderYesYes
Taobao (online purchase)YesYes
Jingdong (online purchase)YesYes
Peer transfersYesYes
Train/plane tickets purchaseYesYes
Bike sharing apps paymentYesYes
Ticket bookingPartiallyYes

The most convenient payment method for foreign tourists visiting China is Alipay. Alipay is a leading open platform for payments and digital services in China.

Foreign visitors to China can connect their credit card to take advantage of Alipay’s widespread acceptance by tens of millions of merchants across the country. It is easy to register and widely accepted in China.

For more information, please refer to the following article:

How to use Alipay in China

How to use Alipay in China

How to register and connect your card to Alipay and how to use it in China.

WeChat (Weixin) is a popular social app in China, and WeChat Pay is its built-in payment service.

WeChat Pay is one of the most widely used payment methods in China. From modern cities to remote villages, from high-end restaurants to street food vendors, from online shopping to in-store purchases, WeChat Pay is accepted almost everywhere. You can use it to pay for transportation, food delivery, tickets, and virtually any service or product in China.

For more information, please refer to the following article:

How to use WeChat Pay in China

How to use WeChat Pay in China

How to register and connect your card to WeChat Pay and how to use it in China.

Navigation Apps

China has several popular navigation and mapping applications that are specifically designed for use within mainland China. These apps provide detailed coverage of Chinese cities, points of interest, and real-time traffic information.

For more information, please refer to the following article:

Navigation Apps in China

Navigation Apps in China

How to choose the best navigation app in China.

Ride-hailing Apps

Didi Rider is the most popular ride-hailing app in China. Didi Rider meets the transportation needs of most tourists in China. Services include but are not limited to: carpooling (cheaper), business cars (more comfortable, can wait longer), 6-8 seater cars (suitable for family travel), and taxis (faster).

Didi Rider

Didi Rider

Ride-hailing app in China.

If you are familiar with Chinese or AMap (Gaode Maps), you can also consider using AMap for ride-hailing.

Amap Map

Amap Map

Amap is a popular navigation and mapping app in China.

Food Delivery Apps

Meituan and Ele.me are the most popular food delivery apps in China.

Meituan

Meituan

Meituan is a food delivery and lifestyle service app in China.