You can order taxi on Didi and pay on cash on a metered fare; surge pricing is not possible.

For me, it is a convenience app to hail a taxi, nothing more nor less. Taxis in China are very inexpensive.

For ride shares, also pay outside the app, having hailed via it one-time. Driver is happy to have a regular ride-share.

And frankly, I'm happy to pay taxi-rate fares, that again are nothing in comparison to North American or European rates, for the convenience.