Refer China: China Bike-Sharing Price Hike ： Higher Start, 60-Minute Base

China's three major bike-sharing platforms—Meituan, Didi Qingju, Hellobike—raised starting prices to 1.88-1.99 yuan for 60 minutes in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. Short trips under 30 minutes cost ~25% more; longer rides cost less. Memberships help only daily commuters.

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China Bike-Sharing Price Hike ： Higher Start, 60-Minute Base

Bike-Sharing in China Just Got More Expensive — All Three Platforms Raise Prices Together

If you've unlocked a shared bike recently, you may have noticed something different: it costs more than it used to.

Meituan, Didi Qingju, and Hellobike — China's three major bike-sharing platforms — have quietly rolled out price hikes across multiple cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. The changes follow a similar pattern: a higher starting price, but a longer base riding time.

Here's what's changed, what it means for you, and whether a membership still makes sense.

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New Pricing: Higher Start, Longer Base

Previously, most platforms charged around 1.5 yuan per 30 minutes. Under the new structure, the starting price now ranges from 1.88 yuan to 1.99 yuan — but that now covers a full 60 minutes instead of just 30.

Meituan now charges 1.88 yuan for 60 minutes in most major cities, up from 1.5 yuan for 30 minutes. Didi Qingju and Hellobike have both adjusted to 1.99 yuan for 60 minutes, compared to their previous 1.5 yuan per 30-minute rate.

(Note: Pricing may vary slightly by city and by weekday vs. weekend. Holiday pricing has actually dropped on some platforms — from 2.5 yuan/hour to 1.88 yuan/hour on Meituan.)

Who Wins? Who Loses?

The new pricing structure creates a clear split:

For short trips under 30 minutes, you're paying more. A 10-minute ride that used to cost 1.5 yuan now costs 1.88 yuan — a roughly 25% increase.

For longer trips over 30 minutes, you're paying less. A 45-minute ride that used to cost 3 yuan (1.5 yuan base plus overtime charges) now costs just 1.88 yuan — a 37% drop.

According to industry data, the average bike-sharing trip in China is about 2.7 kilometers — which typically takes around 15–20 minutes. That means most riders are short-distance commuters, and this price hike hits them the hardest.

The Membership Option

All three platforms offer various membership plans — monthly unlimited rides, fixed-ride packs, and premium memberships. According to the companies, members can bring their per-ride cost back down to pre-hike levels or even lower.

But as one rider put it: "That only helps if you ride every day. For the rest of us, it's still a price hike."

Why the Price Hike?

When asked about the increases, most platform customer service representatives avoided direct answers. One representative told us: "The adjustment is to provide better green travel services. The new pricing meets the daily riding needs of most users and helps ensure more bikes are available when you need them."

Industry analysts point to rising costs:

Vehicle procurement and depreciation — bikes need to be replaced regularly, and that's expensive
On-the-ground dispatch and repair — keeping bikes distributed and in working condition requires a large workforce
Compliance and operational expenses — parking management and city regulations add to the cost
Rising raw material costs — aluminum prices have been climbing steadily, squeezing profit margins

The fact that all three major platforms raised prices at nearly the same time — and in nearly the same way — suggests the industry has entered a new phase: no more subsidy wars, just a mature market looking for sustainable profitability.

Source: 看看新闻News

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