Opening a mobile application which is all in Chinese can be an alien experience for someone who can’t read characters, it can also be a little tricky for those with a few years of living in China under the belt.
Hopefully, by the end of this guide, you’ll be navigating the well-renowned app “Mei tuan” like your Chinese friends and ordering food will become a piece of cake!
This guide will take you through, downloading the APP, making an account, registering your address and placing your first order.
First, download the APP by searching 美团.
Open the APP and make an account.
Upon opening the APP for the first time, you’ll land on the homepage (pictured on the left side of the image below). Follow the instructions within the image to register.
You can either register using your mobile number, Wechat account or QQ account.
Next, register the address you want to deliver to.
Now you have registered an account you will also need to set your home address. Have a friend who can read Chinese characters confirm your address beforehand.
On the Mei Tuan homepage, first, click the “me” button which is the last icon on the bottom footer. Then “my address” icon. (pictured below)
After clicking the above icons you will be then directed to this page…
Once again, if you are unsure about your address then have a friend check it for you. This is the part where most of the deliveries can go wrong if the information isn’t correct.
How to order food!
Now you have registered and set up your address within the APP, you are now ready to order.
Ordering is simple. From the home page, first, confirm the correct address is chosen in the top left-hand corner.
You can either search for your favourite foods in Chinese using the search bar or scroll through the restaurants that are nearby your location. (scroll to the bottom of the homepage to see places closest to you).
Once you have selected a restaurant you can add items to the basket then check out.
Check out page
As soon as you have paid, you will be directed to track your order through the APP. You will be able to see the estimated time of arrival (which is pretty accurate), what stage the order is at and where the delivery driver is.
On rare occasions, restaurants may call you to confirm your address or to swap something on the order.
Usually, the delivery driver will also call to let you know that they are in your building or at your front door. For your first couple of orders, it’s probably best-having someone that can speak Chinese to help.
Also, ask them to teach you the Chinese for your location. When ordering 95% of the time, providing your address is correct, the person delivering your order shouldn’t have a problem.
Related article: How to stream movies and TV shows in China
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