Food Joints See Decline in Orders Due to Rain Surcharge on Swiggy, Zomato Apps

Ahmedabad: For most people, rain comes as a relief, and with several home delivery platforms like Swiggy, Zomato, and Zepto, one doesn’t even have to get soaked to fetch something from the market. But these platforms are drenching food business owners and customers alike with their “rain surcharge.” As soon as the rains hit the city, customers are faced with an extra charge of ₹10 to ₹45, without any consideration of the intensity of the rain.

Now, with these surcharges—which increase not only the food cost but also the GST on it—food business owners affiliated with these platforms are seeing a decline in orders, as new customers get discouraged by the extra cost.

One business owner stated that the additional charge discourages new customers, although some regular customers still accept it. However, the impact on business is noticeable. He also pointed out that what hurts even more are the cancellations that happen during rainy hours—when orders are already fewer.

Notably, some apps display the surcharge clearly, while others blend it into the delivery charges with only a small note explaining it’s due to rain.

With cloud kitchen operators relying entirely on these apps—which already take up to 35% commission per order—adding the rain surcharge of ₹10 to ₹45, plus mandatory advertising costs, pushes their expenses up to nearly 44–49%. Furthermore, businesses do not have the option to adjust the delivery fee or remove the surcharge, another businessman told the media.

Meanwhile, food delivery companies argue that the rain surcharge helps motivate delivery personnel to keep working despite difficult weather, ensuring uninterrupted service. DeshGujarat