Food delivery is set to become slightly more expensive as Swiggy has increased its platform fee by around 17 prcent, taking it to Rs 17.58 per order from Rs 14.99 earlier. The move comes just days after Zomato implemented a similar hike, bringing both platforms to nearly the same effective fee level.

The revised fee is inclusive of GST and is visible on the app during checkout. In comparison, Zomato charges a base platform fee of Rs 14.90, with taxes pushing the total to around Rs 17.58 per order—matching Swiggy’s pricing.

This back-to-back increase highlights a growing trend where both companies are steadily raising customer-facing charges. What started as a small Rs 2 fee in 2023 has now evolved into a key revenue stream for food delivery platforms.

The platform fee is a fixed charge added to every order, over and above delivery charges and taxes. While the increase per order may seem small, it can significantly raise overall costs for frequent users.

Industry experts say the hikes are largely driven by rising operational costs, including fuel, logistics, and platform maintenance. With limited room to increase commissions from restaurants, companies are increasingly relying on user charges to improve margins.

The timing also reflects intense competition in the food delivery space, with both Swiggy and Zomato closely mirroring each other’s pricing strategies. The aim is to maintain profitability while continuing to scale operations.

Food delivery platforms are gradually increasing fees to strengthen revenues, and with both major players now charging similar rates, ordering food online is likely to keep getting costlier for users.