Whether you are at home, at the office, or out for a picnic, food can be delivered wherever you wish. There is no doubt about the fact that food delivery has made our lives easier. Just being in the comfort of our home, we can have anything we wish to. But, while ordering, you will often notice that there are several types of charges that the food delivery apps put on our bills. And because of this, the initial cost of our food increases. So, if you have ever wondered how much these apps cost us, a recent LinkedIn post reveals it all.

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In a post by user Vinayak Rajanahally, he explained how he ordered food from a local café. When he added the same items from the menu on Swiggy and Zomato, the prices had a drastic difference. In the post, he wrote, “Yesterday, I wanted to order breakfast from Dakshin Café, a restaurant near my house. Picked up my mobile to order on either Swiggy or Zomato. Checked the total fares on both apps for my order. Swiggy showed Rs. 823. Zomato showed Rs. 785. I was about to order on Zomato, thinking I would save Rs. 38.” After looking at the prices, the man decided to go and take the order himself. This way, he was only charged INR 440!

He further said, “If I had ordered online, I would have paid 68% higher on Swiggy and 60% higher on Zomato than (Walkin price + Delivery Charges.) Today, user behavior is such that we don’t think twice about ordering food online, assuming it would be just 10 to 20% higher than normal, which is OK to pay for convenience. Rarely do we realize it is not.”

The user also said that restaurant owners might not be making big margins, so why do the food apps incur losses after earning so much? Check out the full post here.

(Also Read: Swiggy India Admits Food Prices May Be Higher Online Vs At The Restaurant)

Ever since this post was made, many people have commented on it. Read some of the reactions below:

“Since restaurants have to pay 27 to 30 percent commission on each order. The majority of the restaurants keep online prices in such a manner that they don’t end up incurring losses. Hence, you will always find a price difference in direct purchase and buying via these aggregator applications.”

“You nailed its consumer behaviour. @Zomato and @Swiggy spent tons of money on changing your behaviour. It’s nothing to crib; it’s about you have an option now. If you don’t have time, they allow you to save time at a cost, that’s it.”

“It’s not a mandate, but an option for you to choose based on your comfort and convenience. In the end, you pay for food + additional based on your choice of comfort – nothing comes free.”

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“I have discussed with a couple of restaurants which state that they also pay 10-15% to Zomato. The delivery charge is on the customer. But remember, these services are/were never for discerning people with “time” on their hands. It’s for the generation who always feel busy and want things at their home/workplace. While I am not a big supporter of Zomato, they will eventually be a part of our life – with PEs entering with more funds to hold their weak underbelly. Possibly with more products to deliver.”

What do you think about this charge difference? Let us know in the comments below!