Order, order! Inside the latest Zomato loophole

A viral post claiming customers are bypassing Zomato commissions by placing tiny app orders and paying restaurants directly for larger meals via UPI has sparked discussions online.

A social media post about an alleged food delivery ‘hack’ has sparked debate online after revealing how some customers may be bypassing commissions on food delivery apps. Shared by X user @ValueWithPrem, the post has crossed 7 lakh views and claims customers are placing a small order on Zomato, then calling the restaurant directly to add a much larger order separately.

The viral post has garnered over 700k views on X. (AI Image: Henu Mauria/ ht (for representational purpose only))

According to the post, a customer places a ₹40 roti order through Zomato, but then contacts the restaurant to add extra dishes like paneer butter masala, dal makhani and desserts, paying the restaurant directly via UPI. The entire meal is packed together and delivered through the app’s rider network, while the larger portion of the bill reportedly avoids platform commissions, surge pricing and additional charges.

“The restaurant loves it. Full margin, no 25-30% cut. The customer loves it,” the user wrote, while also calling it “exploitation of the system” and urging Zomato to “plug this loophole”.

The post drew mixed reactions online. Some users criticised the practice as misuse of delivery infrastructure, while others questioned how platforms could realistically check packed food orders without opening them. Zomato had not issued any public response to the viral claims at the time of going to press.