Zomato Responds To Restaurant Owner’s Complaint Over Payment Mechanism & Convenience Fee Deductions

Food delivery platform Zomato has once again found itself in the spotlight, this time not because of a customer complaint, but due to concerns raised by one of its own restaurant partners. A viral post on X (formerly Twitter) has triggered fresh scrutiny over the company’s fee structure, with questions being raised about whether restaurants are being unfairly burdened with multiple charges.

The issue has reignited a long-standing debate around transparency in the food delivery ecosystem, where both customers and restaurant partners often feel unclear about how charges are calculated and distributed. As the post gained traction online, it quickly drew attention from other business owners and users, many of whom shared similar concerns.

businessoffood

The controversy began when an X user, Hema Khemka, took to the platform to express her frustration

In her post, she claimed that despite multiple attempts to reach out, including trying to contact Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal. In the post, she wrote:

“Dear income tax department.. just see how much money Zomato is deducting from restaurant partner.. why I will pay payment mechanism fees? Why I will pay convenience fee when customer is already paying? Why?”

@IncomeTaxIndia @zomato @deepigoyal restaurant ID : 22641557

Dear income tax department.. just see how much money zomato. Is deducting from restaurant partner.. why I will pay payment mechanism fees? Why I will pay convenience fee when customer is already paying? Whyy? pic.twitter.com/UdWP8fQqdm

— Hema Khemka (@KhemkaHema7663) April 16, 2026

Along with the post, the user shared a screenshot of a transaction summary, offering a detailed look at how the final payout was calculated. The figures highlighted multiple layers of deductions:

Net order value: ₹1,501.50

Order level deductions: ₹27.63

Included payment mechanism fee of ₹27.63

Tax deductions: ₹76.47

GST on service and payment mechanism fees: ₹4.97

GST paid by Zomato on behalf of the restaurant (u/s 9(5)): ₹71.50

Twitter

On the right side of the image, the settlement summary showed:

Total bill: ₹3,004 (marked as paid)

Gross revenue: ₹3,004

Total deductions: ₹68.49

Notably listed as a convenience fee

Net receivable: ₹2,935.51

Twitter

The highlighted deductions led the user to question why both restaurants and customers appear to be charged overlapping fees, particularly around payment processing and convenience charges.

Zomato responded to the complaint

Responding to the viral complaint, Zomato’s support team acknowledged the issue. Via its official support handle, they wrote,

“Hey Hema, our team is getting this checked and will get back to you with an update.”

Hey Hema, our team is getting this checked and will get back to you with an update.

— Zomato Care (@zomatocare) April 17, 2026

While the reply indicated that the matter is under review, it did little to immediately settle the concerns raised in the post. This incident highlights a recurring issue in the food delivery ecosystem—how fees are distributed between customers, restaurants, and platforms.

As competition intensifies in the sector, both customers and restaurant partners are demanding greater clarity in billing and settlement processes. For many small businesses, even minor deductions can have a noticeable impact on profitability.

Whether this viral complaint leads to policy clarification or changes from Zomato remains to be seen. For now, it has once again brought the spotlight back on platform accountability in India’s rapidly growing food delivery market.

What are your views on this matter? Let us know in the comments.