Zomato Expands Priority Delivery Service Amid Controversy Over Charges

In April, Zomato extended its priority food delivery service to include Delhi, Hyderabad, and Pune, as reported by The Times of India. This paid super-fast delivery option promises users that their orders will arrive up to five minutes sooner than the standard delivery time. The service, which costs between Rs. 19 and Rs. 29 per priority delivery order, has sparked criticism regarding its pricing strategy.

A recent critique from journalist Aariz Rizvi has brought attention to the company's decision to apply the same charges to Gold members. Taking to ‘X’, Rizvi shared a screenshot displaying the option to select priority delivery for Rs. 29 or have his order grouped with others for non-priority delivery.

Check out the post:

Expressing his frustration, he wrote, “New scam by Zomato! First, why have you started grouping orders? Second, why should I pay extra for priority delivery when I’m already a Zomato Gold member? There are no sensible perks left for Gold. It’s pure loot now.”

Rizvi's post quickly gained traction, with numerous users echoing his sentiments.

User's reaction on the post:

One user commented, “They have become the modern day lootere log. I have removed both @Swiggy and @zomatocare apps from my phone and order directly from the outlet. Believe me it is massive savings.”

Another user remarked, “For all the Ethics and good business practices that Deepinder Goyal was preaching on Shark tank, Zomato is the complete opposite of that.”

A third user humorously added, “Not a frequent user but had a gold plan. Once my order delayed n was told it is grouped with another order, executive said this is done to save the earth. 
I told them ask your owner why he wants to kill the earth, he should first get rid of high-end sports cars from his garage.”

In addition to the priority delivery service, the Gurgaon-based company is experimenting with a ‘pay later’ feature for select users.

This option allows users to place their orders and settle the payment anytime before their food arrives, as per information from the company’s app. The ‘pay later’ feature, available on an opt-in basis, permits users to complete their checkout and pay later, but it is only applicable for orders up to Rs. 9,000.

As Zomato continues to expand its services, the company faces increasing scrutiny from its user base. While the priority delivery and ‘pay later’ features aim to enhance user convenience, the discontent among Gold members and the perception of unfair pricing practices highlight the challenges the company must address to maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty.