What Is the Payability Score?
You land in a new country, fire up the most popular local delivery app, pick your meal, and then… the payment screen only accepts a local bank card. Or a phone-verified e-wallet you have never heard of. Or a QR code linked to a domestic banking network.
This is the reality for millions of travelers every year. The food delivery landscape is incredibly fragmented when it comes to payment. An app that works flawlessly in your home country may be essentially unusable abroad — not because of language or coverage, but because you simply cannot pay.
The Payability Score is DownloadEat's proprietary rating system that solves this problem. We assign every food delivery app a score from 1 to 100 based on how easy it is for an international tourist to complete a payment. The higher the score, the fewer barriers you will face.
A score of 90+ means virtually any tourist with a standard Visa or Mastercard can order without friction. A score below 30 means the app is effectively unusable for most foreign visitors without significant workarounds.
How We Calculate the Score
The Payability Score is built on seven weighted components that together capture the full payment experience for a tourist. Here is exactly how it works.
1. Foreign Credit/Debit Card Acceptance (30 points)
This is the single most important factor. We test whether the app accepts international Visa, Mastercard, and American Express cards issued by banks outside the app's home country. Full acceptance of all three networks earns the maximum 30 points. Accepting only Visa/MC earns 25. Accepting cards but with frequent declines earns 15–20. No foreign card support earns 0.
2. Apple Pay & Google Pay Support (15 points)
Mobile wallets are the fastest way for tourists to pay — no need to type in card numbers or worry about 3D Secure prompts that may not work internationally. Full Apple Pay and Google Pay support earns 15 points. Support for only one earns 10. No mobile wallet support earns 0.
3. PayPal or International E-Wallet Support (10 points)
PayPal is the world's most widely held international payment account. Apps that accept PayPal give tourists a reliable fallback. We also consider other broadly available e-wallets like Revolut or Wise virtual cards. Full PayPal integration earns 10 points.
4. Cash on Delivery Option (10 points)
Cash is the universal backup. In many countries, it is the primary payment method. If an app supports cash on delivery, tourists always have a way to pay regardless of card issues. Full COD support earns 10 points. Limited COD (only in some areas) earns 5.
5. Local Bank Account Requirement Penalty (up to −20 points)
Some apps require linking a local bank account, local debit card, or domestic payment network (like PIX in Brazil or UPI in India). This is a hard barrier for tourists. Requiring a local bank account deducts up to 20 points. Requiring a local debit card deducts 15. Strongly encouraging but not requiring local payment deducts 5–10.
6. Local Phone Number Requirement Penalty (up to −15 points)
If an app requires a local phone number for SMS verification during signup or payment confirmation, this creates a significant barrier. Requiring a local number deducts up to 15 points. Accepting international numbers but with unreliable OTP delivery deducts 5–10.
7. Refund Reliability for International Users (20 points)
When something goes wrong — wrong order, missing items, food never arrives — can a tourist get their money back? We evaluate how easy it is to get a refund, whether refunds go back to the original foreign card, how long the process takes, and whether customer support is accessible in English. A smooth, fast refund process earns 20 points. No English support and poor refund track record earns 0–5.
The Score Is Normalized
After calculating the raw score from all seven components, we normalize it to a clean 1–100 scale. This means the theoretical maximum raw score of 85 (30+15+10+10+20) maps to 100, and severe penalties can push scores well below 30. The normalization ensures easy comparison across apps and countries.
Example Scores: Top Global Delivery Apps
Here is how the world's most popular delivery apps score on our Payability system. These scores represent the typical tourist experience — your individual experience may vary slightly based on your card issuer and home country.
| App | Score | Foreign Cards | Mobile Pay | Cash | Key Issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uber Eats | 92 | Visa/MC/Amex | Apple + Google | Select markets | None significant |
| Deliveroo | 88 | Visa/MC/Amex | Apple + Google | No | EU markets only |
| Grab | 85 | Visa/MC | GrabPay | Yes | Amex limited |
| Glovo | 82 | Visa/MC | Apple Pay | Select markets | 3D Secure issues |
| Rappi | 72 | Visa/MC | Limited | Yes | Card declines common |
| Foodpanda | 70 | Visa/MC | Varies | Yes | Inconsistent by country |
| Wolt | 86 | Visa/MC/Amex | Apple + Google | No | Limited markets |
| iFood | 55 | Visa/MC (issues) | No | Yes | CPF required, PIX preferred |
| Swiggy | 60 | Visa/MC | Google Pay (India) | Yes | Indian phone needed |
| Baemin | 35 | Korean cards only | Kakao Pay | No | Korean bank required |
| Meituan | 15 | No | WeChat/Alipay only | No | Chinese bank + phone required |
| Ele.me | 12 | No | Alipay only | No | Chinese bank + phone + ID |
The Universal Rule
When in doubt, try Uber Eats first. It has the highest Payability Score in virtually every country where it operates because your existing account, card, and preferences transfer seamlessly across borders.
How to Use the Payability Score
Every country page on DownloadEat displays the Payability Score for each delivery app we review. Here is how to make the most of it.
Before Your Trip
Visit the country page for your destination — for example, Japan or Indonesia. Look at the Payability Scores for each app. If the top-rated local app scores below 50, plan a payment workaround: download Uber Eats as a backup, bring cash, or research local SIM cards and e-wallets you can set up on arrival.
Score Ranges Explained
- 90–100: No issues. Your foreign card, Apple Pay, or PayPal will work seamlessly.
- 70–89: Generally fine for most tourists. You may need to try a second card or use a specific payment method.
- 50–69: Possible friction. Foreign cards may be declined. Cash on delivery or a local workaround may be needed.
- 30–49: Significant barriers. The app strongly favors local payment methods. Not recommended as your primary option.
- 1–29: Essentially unusable for tourists without a local bank account or phone number. Avoid unless you have local connections.
Country-by-Country Comparisons
Each country page on DownloadEat shows all available delivery apps ranked by their Payability Score, alongside coverage area, language support, and our overall recommendation. This lets you quickly see which apps to download and which to skip. Check out our country guides:
- Japan — Uber Eats (92), Wolt (78), Demae-can (20)
- Indonesia — Grab (85), GoFood (58), ShopeeFood (45)
- Taiwan — Uber Eats (90), Foodpanda (72)
- Portugal — Uber Eats (92), Glovo (82), Bolt Food (80)
- Croatia — Wolt (86), Glovo (82), Bolt Food (78)
Scores Can Vary by Card Issuer
A card issued by a major US or UK bank will generally have fewer issues than one from a smaller regional bank. If your card is declined, try another card from a different issuer. Visa and Mastercard have the widest acceptance. American Express and Discover are much more limited internationally.
The Hardest Countries for Tourist Payment
Some countries have delivery ecosystems that are essentially closed to foreign payment methods. Here are the toughest markets and what to do about them.
China (Meituan: 15, Ele.me: 12)
China is the single hardest market for tourist food delivery. Both Meituan and Ele.me require WeChat Pay or Alipay, which in turn require a Chinese bank account. The apps are entirely in Chinese. Uber Eats does not operate in China. Your options: ask a local friend or hotel concierge to order for you, use cash at nearby restaurants, or try the Alipay international tourist mini-program (which has limited but growing restaurant support).
South Korea (Baemin: 35, Coupang Eats: 40)
South Korea's delivery apps strongly prefer Korean payment methods. Baemin (Baedal Minjok) requires a Korean phone number and favors Korean card payments. Coupang Eats is slightly better but still problematic. Uber Eats operates in Seoul and accepts foreign cards, making it the best tourist option, but its restaurant selection is smaller than Baemin's.
Brazil (iFood: 55)
Brazil's dominant app iFood requires a CPF (Brazilian tax ID number) to register and strongly prefers PIX (Brazil's instant payment system) or local cards. Foreign credit cards sometimes work but are frequently declined. Cash on delivery is your best fallback. Uber Eats operates in major Brazilian cities and accepts international cards reliably.
India (Swiggy: 60, Zomato: 62)
India's apps work with foreign cards in theory, but the experience is often frustrating. OTP verifications sent to international numbers may not arrive. UPI (India's dominant payment rail) requires an Indian bank account. Cash on delivery is widely available and is often the most reliable option for tourists in India.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Payability Score is a proprietary 1–100 rating developed by DownloadEat that measures how easy it is for an international tourist to pay on a food delivery app. It considers foreign credit card acceptance, Apple Pay and Google Pay support, PayPal availability, cash on delivery options, and penalties for apps that require local bank accounts or local phone numbers. A higher score means easier payment for travelers.
The score is calculated across seven weighted categories: foreign credit/debit card acceptance (30 points), Apple Pay and Google Pay support (15 points), PayPal or international e-wallet support (10 points), cash on delivery availability (10 points), local bank account requirement penalty (up to −20), local phone number penalty (up to −15), and refund reliability (20 points). The raw score is then normalized to a 1–100 scale.
Uber Eats holds the highest Payability Score at approximately 92/100. This is because it accepts foreign credit cards in virtually every market it operates in, supports both Apple Pay and Google Pay, transfers your existing account across borders, and has a reliable English-language refund process. Deliveroo (88) and Wolt (86) are also strong performers for tourist accessibility.
China is the hardest, with Meituan (15/100) and Ele.me (12/100) both requiring Chinese bank-linked e-wallets. South Korea is also difficult — Baemin scores just 35/100 due to its Korean phone and payment requirements. Brazil (iFood at 55) and parts of Southeast Asia can also be challenging. In all these countries, Uber Eats (where available) is usually the best or only option for tourists.
Yes, we update Payability Scores regularly as apps change their payment infrastructure. For example, Grab significantly improved its score when it started accepting international credit cards. We re-evaluate scores quarterly and whenever major policy changes are announced. Always check the date on our country pages for the latest information.