New Delhi: A Coimbatore resident’s viral social media post where he shared his experience of being allegedly charged 81 percent more online than what he had to pay for the same order from the same restaurant offline, has created a wave of response on the internet. The X post has sparked important discussions on the exorbitant prices levied on online food orders, which are often available at half the price offline.
In an X post, user Sunder has questioned online food delivery platform Swiggy about why it charges a disproportionately high price for the same food items that are offered in restaurants for a significantly lower price.
In the social media post, Sunder shared a detailed comparison of both bills. He asked Swiggy to explain why ordering meals using the app costs 81 percent more than purchasing the same meal from the same restaurant, which is only two kilometers away. He wrote, “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.”
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The customer wonders whether paying more is really what we get in return for making life convenient. “Is this the real cost of convenience ? The extra that I have to pay to get the food delivered is INR 663,” the user wrote.
Netizens react
The post triggered a wave of responses, with many users echoing concerns over rising app prices and many others saying every business needs its cut to run.
A user commented, “30 percent difference is always there than restaurant prices, but 80 percent is too much.”
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Another user said, “You are behaving like it’s forced upon you. It’s an open market… App and manpower need their cut to run.”
“Want to pay less. Go pick the food up, or call up the restaurant and manage the delivery part yourself,” a user said.
What do food delivery platforms say?
As per reports, the food delivery platforms have consistently maintained that menu pricing on their platforms is determined by individual restaurants. Since it is entirely up to the restaurant, prices may vary between online and offline locations.