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China

Shenzhen

A fishing village turned tech hub on Hong Kong's doorstep. On the intercity railway, your passport is the ticket.

Taxis and ride-hailing (出租车 / 网约车)

A car dispatched by app must be electric under city law. The blue-and-white street taxi runs on a government-set meter, while an app car is priced by the market and must show its pricing rules before you book.

Updated 13 days ago

How to ride

  1. 1
    Hail with an app
    Use 出行 inside WeChat or Alipay, or the DiDi app - DiDi takes a foreign phone number and bank card at sign-up.
  2. 2
    Match the car to the screen before you get in
    Check the plate, model and driver against the screen; the app also shows waiting cars within 3 km and the pricing rules.
  3. 3
    Hail the blue-and-white metered taxis
    Watch the meter start after you board - starting it while driving to you breaks the rules.
  4. 4
    At the airport, use the official pickup points
    Taxis: outside Gate 13, GTC level 2 east. App cars: zone A by Gate 15 south, zone B on level 1. Never follow a tout.
  5. 5
    Take the fapiao and note the numbers
    City complaints go to 12328; keep the plate, the driver's licence number and the time.

Typical costs

How the meter adds up9

Street taxi base fare (first 2 km)
The government-set rate for metered taxis; app cars are priced separately by the market.
10 CNY ≈ $1
Distance charge (per km)
The 20-35 km band adds 30% and 35 km upward adds 60% as an empty-return charge.
2.7 CNY ≈ $0.4
Slow-traffic and waiting charge (per minute)
Charged while below 10 km/h or at a standstill.
0.8 CNY ≈ $0.1
Night base fare (23:00-06:00)
Base and distance both rise 30%; the city's own guide states 13 as the night base.
13 CNY ≈ $2
Late-night surcharge from the airport (23:30-06:00)
Added per trip to taxis leaving the airport's official queueing area.
15 CNY ≈ $2
Late-night surcharge from Shenzhen North (23:30-06:00)
Added per trip to taxis leaving the high-speed station's queueing area.
5 CNY ≈ $0.7
Lunar New Year surcharge
Added per trip from midnight on New Year's Eve to 23:59 on the sixth day.
10 CNY ≈ $1
Booking service fee for phone or online orders
Six is the ceiling; the operator and the dispatch platform agree the actual figure.
0〜6 CNY ≈ $0.9
Oversized luggage (per piece)
For a piece over 0.2 cubic metres and over 20 kg.
0.5 CNY ≈ $0.07

Estimates use exchange rates as of September 5, 2026

An app car may only take passengers by online booking; a blue-and-white street taxi can be taken at a rank or flagged down.

Payment

Phone wallet Whether a card binds, and its limits, differ by payment app
An overseas card is used by binding it to WeChat, Alipay or the UnionPay app
Card payment on board Unverified
Nothing states whether a card can be used directly in the car
IC card Unverified
On board: Taxis do not appear in the stated scope of the Shenzhen Tong card
App tickets
支付宝 Alipay微信 WeChat高德地图 AmapTrip.com
In the wallet: Payment completes inside the ride-hailing app
QR ticketing Unverified
On board: No Shenzhen source states whether a QR payment is taken in the car
Cash Unverified
On board: No Shenzhen source states which payment methods a taxi takes

Tap for where to get the app

Quick facts

Hours
The airport pickup points run around the clock
Fares from
10 CNY+

Heads-up

  • Do not go with anyone who approaches you at the airport or a station

    City regulation bans anyone, company or individual, from soliciting taxi passengers at airports, railway stations and other transport hubs. Queue at the official rank or walk to the pickup point the app names. A car that negotiates a price with you verbally before you board is not a legitimate service.

  • The regulation lists when you may refuse to pay

    If the driver cannot finish the trip within the base-fare distance because of a breakdown or a crash, leaves you on the way, carries others without your consent, fails to carry or display the required licences, runs a street taxi without a working meter, or turns out not to be the car and driver you booked, you may refuse to pay. Of those, refusing a fare, dropping you en route, sharing the car without consent and running a street taxi without the meter also carry a separate fine of 1,000-2,000 yuan for the driver, and loss of the licence in serious cases.

Timetable

Operating hours The airport pickup points run around the clock
Typical duration The option for places the metro does not reach, for late nights, and for heavy bags
Check the official site for the latest times and service status