We just published a quick update yesterday: Asia Miles now offers rewards on Ele.me and Meituan delivery orders: 2.5 miles/$ (orders must be placed from a mainland China IP)

In that post, I mentioned that Ele.me could not be used with a US credit card, or that after being redirected to Alipay, the only option was the high-fee Tour Pass. That was actually the wrong way to think about it. Ele.me’s major shareholder is Alipay, and WeChat does not have an Ele.me mini program (I thought it didn’t, but it actually does). Similarly, Meituan’s major shareholder is Tencent, and Alipay does not have a Meituan mini program. In most cases, we order from Ele.me through the built-in mini program inside Alipay, but the Ele.me app and website both allow WeChat Pay! And they support overseas credit cards, including US cards.

One important note: the Asia Miles promotion cannot be used through the Alipay or WeChat mini programs.

Registering for Ele.me

Ele.me: registration link (my referral, up to 15 yuan in rewards), or scan the QR code below using Alipay (you cannot scan it with WeChat)

How to Use a US Credit Card

First, do not use Ele.me inside Alipay (Alipay really needs to step up here). After registering, download the Ele.me app or place your order on its website (https://www.ele.me/). Follow these steps:

  • Ele.me will usually push you to check out with Alipay first, sometimes even automatically. After the redirect, do not pay there.
  • Go back to the app or website, find the unpaid order, and then choose another payment option.
  • You can also order directly through the Ele.me mini program in WeChat and then pay with a US card, but that will not trigger the Asia Miles shopping portal. It is better to click through Asia Miles first, then check out in the Ele.me app or on the website.
  • Once redirected to WeChat Pay, you can choose your US credit card to pay. Recommended cards: CSR/CSP/Premier/Prestige.
  • When using WeChat plus a US credit card on Ele.me, Visa/Master transactions may code as WeChat Pay. In any case, you will likely earn only 1x.

The web version works similarly, but I recommend using the app.

Related Articles