If you’ve been ordering food online lately, brace yourself — your bill is going up again. Following a 19% hike in platform fees by Zomato last week, rival food delivery giant Swiggy has also raised its platform fee from ₹14.99 to ₹17.58, reflecting a 17% increase. Entrackr And yes, this affects every single order you place.
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What Is a Platform Fee, Anyway?
Platform fees are fixed, per-order charges in addition to delivery and restaurant fees, levied to cover operating costs, technology maintenance, and customer support. Think of it as a “convenience tax” you pay for using the app — regardless of what or how much you order.
Learn more about how food delivery platforms work on Wikipedia.
Swiggy vs Zomato vs Magicpin — Fee Comparison at a Glance
| Platform | Platform Fee | GST Included? | Effective Per Order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swiggy | ₹17.58 | ✅ Yes | ₹17.58 |
| Zomato | ₹14.90 | ❌ No (separate) | ₹17.58 |
| Magicpin | ₹14.20 | ✅ Yes | ₹14.20 |
Despite the difference in how GST is shown, combined with the platform fee and its associated GST, Swiggy’s total fee currently stands at ₹17.58 and Zomato’s fee also equals exactly ₹17.58. Business Standard Basically, both giants are now charging the same amount — just showing it differently.
Why Are They Raising Fees Right Now?
The companies cite the need to cover rising operational and input costs, including higher energy prices affecting restaurants and delivery partners.
Swiggy reported a 33% year-on-year rise in consolidated net loss to ₹1,065 crore in Q3FY26, even as revenue grew 54% to ₹6,148 crore. The losses in its quick commerce arm, Instamart, have been ballooning — and platform fees are one of the easiest ways to plug that gap.
Swiggy introduced a platform fee of ₹2 in April 2023 and has steadily raised it to ₹17.58, aligning with its focus on improving unit economics. That’s nearly a 9x jump in under 3 years.
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What This Means for You as a Consumer
Every order now costs you ₹2.59 more than before — that may sound small, but across millions of daily orders, it adds up fast. Assuming the current run-rate of approximately 194 million orders per quarter holds, the average incremental annual revenue from the fee hike is estimated at ₹155 crore for Swiggy alone. Business Standard
The consumer ends up subsidizing the platform’s path to profitability.
FAQs
Q: Why did Swiggy raise its platform fee?
Swiggy hiked the fee to cover rising operational costs and narrow its ongoing losses. The move mirrors a similar hike by Zomato days earlier.
Q: Is Magicpin cheaper than Swiggy and Zomato?
Yes — Magicpin currently charges ₹14.20 per order inclusive of GST, making it the most affordable option among the top three platforms.
