Swiggy has followed in the footsteps of its rival Zomato by raising platform fee from ₹14.99 to ₹17.58 per order. It was a move that was panned on social media as many consumers worried about the increasing cost of ordering food online.
Zomato and Swiggy are the country’s two leading online food delivery aggregators. Last week, Zomato raised its platform fee to ₹14.90. Although smaller players like Ownly have entered the food delivery space, Swiggy and Zomato continue to dominate a large share of the market.
Internet reacts to Swiggy hike
News of Swiggy raising its platform fee was met with disdain if not disbelief. Some people on the social media platform X claimed they saw the hike coming.
“This was inevitable. Discounts are going away and unit economics are finally catching up,” wrote one X user.
Another said that the food delivery giants are now trying to move towards profitability after building a loyal customer base.
“Subsidy phase is over. Profitability phase has begun,” said X user Rishabh Nahar.
{{/usCountry}}“Subsidy phase is over. Profitability phase has begun,” said X user Rishabh Nahar.
{{/usCountry}}“This is the whole model of these platforms. Never expect that these will be cheap in the long run. That is the problem of cheap dopamine. People enjoy it once until it starts putting holes in your pocket. Most will still order it since the hike is hardly 2 to 3 rupees and most love convenience,” wrote Anshul Garg. “Once you are addicted they take advantage.”
“It’s the ultimate Life Hack for tech giants. They aren't selling food, they’re selling an addiction to convenience, and they know exactly how much we're willing to pay to avoid walking to the local dhaba,” said Palwinder Singh.
Is the fee hike worth it?
Many claimed they would now stop ordering food online and either cook at home or step out to eat.
“This is reaching a stage where people will stop ordering because total charges are so high,” Nitin Jauhari predicted.
“If you are in your 20s, I feel you should not use these apps if you can. Go out there, make plans, hang out with friends,” an X user said.
“At this rate, the day isn’t far when charges & fees will be higher than the actual order,” X user Karan quipped.
“Anyone taken a challenge of not ordering anything from any delivery app but going out and buying? How much will we be saving?” another wondered.
One X user said that Swiggy and Zomato “should be used only for compulsory situations, for any casual cravings just go out and have it.”
“People started using Swiggy and Zomato for convenience and discounts, but if fees keep increasing like this, users will eventually rethink whether it’s worth it,” a user added.
“Swiggy is making it easier for us to choose other options with every platform price increase. Thank you,” another wrote.