If you’re someone who regularly orders food from Zomato, there’s an important update you should know.
Just before the festive season, Zomato has increased its platform fee from ₹10 to ₹12. This change means your total bill will now be slightly higher every time you place an order.
Festive Season, Higher Fees
The timing of this fee hike is crucial — it comes when festive food delivery demand is at its peak across India.
Zomato claims that the increase is necessary to cover rising operational costs and to improve customer experience.
Swiggy Has Also Raised Fees
Zomato isn’t the only platform making this move. Its biggest rival, Swiggy, recently increased its platform fee from ₹12 to ₹14 in select areas.
Sources say this temporary hike will remain in place until festive demand stabilizes.
What Is a Platform Fee?
The platform fee is a fixed charge collected on every order, separate from delivery fees or food prices. This fee helps companies cover costs related to:
Technology infrastructure
App maintenance
Delivery logistics
Support for delivery partners
Why the Fee Hike Now?
During festivals, food delivery orders increase significantly. This puts extra pressure on the platform’s systems and logistics.
Zomato and Swiggy are using the platform fee hike to handle this surge in demand and ensure smooth operations.
Impact on Customers
While ₹2 extra may not seem like much, it can add up quickly, especially for those who order food often.
For users placing low-value orders, this increase feels even more significant and may affect their ordering habits over time.
Is This the New Normal?
The back-to-back platform fee hikes by Zomato and Swiggy suggest that such charges may become a regular feature.
It shows a shift in strategy where these platforms aim to boost revenue by adding small but frequent fees.
Whether this change will cause customers to reduce their orders or simply accept the extra cost remains to be seen.
The impact on user behaviour will likely become clear in the coming weeks.
