[Part 26] Korea Food Delivery App Guide: Ordering Chimaek on Baemin & Coupang Eats

In the past, using Korean delivery apps was difficult without a local phone number and Residence Card (ARC), but major delivery apps now support English interfaces and overseas credit card payments. Here is how to choose the right delivery app and order straight to your accommodation.

💡 Before You Start: There Is No Tipping for Delivery in Korea

South Korea does not have a tipping culture. You only pay the food price and delivery fee (usually 0 to 4,000 KRW) shown in the app—there is no need to give cash tips to the delivery driver.

1. Korean Food Delivery Apps Comparison

Here are the key features of Korea’s most popular delivery apps, foreigner-friendly apps, and convenience store delivery services.

• 🛵 Baemin (배달의민족): Korea’s #1 delivery app with the largest number of restaurants. It is the most convenient choice for tourists because you can order as a guest (non-member) and pay with an overseas credit card and international SMS verification.
• 🚀 Coupang Eats (쿠팡이츠): Features an intuitive English interface and lets you track your delivery driver’s real-time location on the map.
• 🍔 Shuttle Delivery: A delivery app created specifically for foreigners. Although it operates only in major tourist and expat areas in Seoul and select cities, it offers a 100% English interface and accepts overseas cards and PayPal without a Korean phone number.
• 🏪 Convenience Store & Grocery Delivery: Beyond restaurant meals, you can tap the “Grocery & Shopping” menu on the main screen of delivery apps to get snacks, drinks, and daily necessities from nearby convenience stores (GS25, CU, 7-Eleven) or supermarkets (Emart Everyday, B Mart) delivered straight to your room.

2. Automatic English Setup & Overseas Card Payment on Baemin & Coupang Eats

Here is how to use and pay on Baemin and Coupang Eats, the two most popular delivery apps in Korea.

• 📱 Automatic English Interface: If your smartphone’s default system language is set to English, both Baemin and Coupang Eats will automatically launch in English as soon as you install and open them, without needing any separate settings. (If the app appears in Korean, you can switch it to English under Language in your phone settings or in-app settings.)
• 💳 Guest Checkout & Overseas Card Payment: You can add items to your cart and order as a guest without logging in. At checkout, select “Credit/Debit Card (일반결제) → Overseas Card” or Apple Pay (with an overseas card) under payment methods and complete SMS verification to finish your payment.
• 🗺️ Real-Time Delivery Tracking on Coupang Eats: Coupang Eats automatically translates menu names into English and allows you to track your driver’s real-time route to your accommodation on a map after ordering.

3. How to Order When Blocked by Phone Verification or Payment

If you are using a data-only eSIM that cannot receive SMS codes or your overseas card payment fails, use one of these two methods:

• 🏨 Ask Your Hotel Front Desk to Order: Decide on the menu you want and ask the 1st-floor front desk staff to place a phone order for you. When the front desk calls your room phone to let you know the food has arrived, head down to the 1st floor and pay the delivery driver directly with cash or a physical card.
• 💬 Use a Foreigner Delivery Concierge Service: If you are staying at an accommodation without a front desk, you can use an English food delivery proxy service for tourists (such as Creatrip) to place the order on your behalf.

4. Staying at a Hotel: Picking Up at the 1st-Floor Lobby

Enter your address accurately so the driver doesn’t get lost, and follow these pickup rules for hotels.

• 📍 Set Your Address Using the Korean Road Name Address or Map Pin: Even when using the English version of the app, typing an address in English into the search bar may not work properly. Copy and paste the Korean road name address from Naver Map or your booking confirmation, or set your location using the Map Pin.
• 🏨 Pick Up at the 1st-Floor Lobby: For security reasons, Korean hotels do not allow delivery drivers to go up to guest room floors. Watch the in-app map and head down to the 1st-floor lobby just before the driver arrives to pick up your food.
• ✅ Select “Meet in Person” in Delivery Instructions: Even if you type a custom message in English, delivery drivers may not understand it. Instead, simply select the “Meet in person / Hand it to me directly” (직접 받을게요) option under Delivery Instructions at checkout and wait in the 1st-floor lobby.

5. Staying at an Airbnb: Doorstep Delivery

Here is how to receive deliveries when staying in a residential villa, apartment, or studio officetel Airbnb.

• 🚪 Contactless Doorstep Pickup: Unlike hotels, if you enter the building entrance passcode and your room number, the delivery driver will bring the food right to your front door.
• ✅ Select “Leave at the Door” in Delivery Instructions: Select the “Leave at the door and ring the bell” (문 앞에 두고 벨 눌러주세요) option under Delivery Instructions at checkout for easy contactless delivery.

6. 4 Must-Try Korean Delivery Foods

These are the top four late-night delivery foods most loved by locals in Korea.

• 🍗 Korean Fried Chicken (Half & Half): Ordering “Half & Half” (반반 치킨)—which lets you enjoy both crispy original fried chicken and sweet-and-spicy seasoned chicken at the same time—is the most popular choice. Every chicken order comes with tangy white pickled radish (치킨무) on the side.

🍜 Jajangmyeon & Tangsuyuk: The iconic duo of Korean-Chinese cuisine. Jajangmyeon (noodles tossed in savory black bean sauce) paired with crispy Tangsuyuk (Sweet and Sour Pork) is delivered super fast.

🌶 Tteokbokki & Fried Snacks Set: A classic Korean street food set featuring spicy rice cakes (Tteokbokki) served with fried seaweed rolls (Gimmari), vegetable tempura, boiled eggs, and blood sausage (Sundae). You can choose your spice level when ordering.

🥩 Jokbal & Bossam: Tender braised pork dishes delivered with a full spread of lettuce wraps, garlic, and spicy radish kimchi, making it a hearty late-night feast to share among 2 to 3 people with beer or soju.

👉 Next UP: Now that you have enjoyed food delivery in your room, it is time to explore the all-purpose hangout spot found on every street corner. From topping up transit cards and using ATMs to the best late-night snack combos, continue to [🔗 Part 27. Korea Convenience Store Guide: Payments, T-Money Top-Up & Must-Try Snacks].