A Swiggy customer has alleged that food ordered via the food delivery platform cost him 80% more than buying the same items directly from the restaurant just two kilometres away. This comes after both food delivery majors Swiggy and Zomato increased their platform fees last week with the onset of festive season demand surge. Swiggy's platform fee was raised by 25% to Rs 15, while Zomato's fee was raised to Rs 12.
In a post on X, a user named Sunder shared a comparison of both the bills—one from Swiggy and the other directly from restaurant, questioning whether the steep markup was 'the real cost of convenience.
As per his post, for the same dishes, the Swiggy order totalled Rs 1,473 including the delivery and platform fees, while purchasing directly from the restaurant cost him only Rs 810.
"80% inflated price to deliver food is way too much,” Sunder wrote in the comments, adding, "Next time I will book Porter to go grab my order for just Rs 100."
Hey @Swiggy, please explain. Why does ordering food in the app, 81% expensive than buying the same food from the same outlet, just 2kms away. Is this the real cost of convenience ? The extra that I have to pay to get the food delivered is INR 663. pic.twitter.com/rvLghtJJ3H
September 7, 2025The post triggered a wave of responses, with many users echoing concerns over inflated app prices, while others defended the delivery model, arguing that convenience comes at a cost.
"Right now food delivery is totally controlled by Swiggy and Zomato. Duopoly like cellular telecom. They are charging because they can. As simple as that. ONDC is not even remotely competing with them. Restaurants are failing to have their own delivery mechanism. So what's the choice?," wrote a user.
"30% difference is always there than restaurant prices, but 80% is too much," commented another user.
“You are behaving like it's forced upon you. It's an open market… App and manpower need their cut to run," wrote another user.
Some users clarified that the price hike is largely driven by restaurants themselves. "I may be wrong but I think it is the restaurant who set up prices online? Swiggy may add fees on top but menu item prices are likely manipulated by the owner," wrote one user.
"These are restaurant charges. Not Swiggy charges. Swiggy charges the restaurants for visibility, and that is the additional cost that you see," clarified another user.
Several users pointed out that restaurants often inflate menu prices on Swiggy and Zomato to absorb platform commissions, which typically range from 24–28% of the order value.
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