Zomato Responds After Customer Questions High Packaging Charges On Food

Food delivery apps have been a silent yet radical force in shaping how people eat in urban India. Applications such as Zomato and Swiggy have impacted not only how people eat but also how the restaurant industry functions and how people are employed. However, as these apps weave themselves deeper into the fabric of day-to-day life, the cracks that exist in the process of convenience are becoming increasingly clear.

It is apparently becoming clear that convenience often comes at a cost, one that consumers are now beginning to notice more sharply. What appears to be a reasonably priced meal on the menu frequently balloons at checkout. Among the latest ‘innovations’ of restaurants is the cost of the packaging of the plates. Recently, Zomato has responded to complaints in which customers expressed concern over the Rs 37 restaurant packaging charge on food orders.

The customer alleges Zomato is charging Rs 37 for a small order

A routine food order on Zomato has sparked some discussion on social media platform X (previously known as Twitter), following a post by a user who questioned charges they considered high packaging costs on their account. Even though the tweet did not go viral, there is clearly customer dissatisfaction regarding transparency in costs when ordering food on Zomato.

The customer, rabbit (@saylord_21), has tagged Zomato and Zomato Care in his post with a picture of the items he has ordered. Based on the bill order, the total amount for the food items is Rs 239. However, there is an additional Rs 37.14 for ‘restaurant packaging charges.’ The amount to be paid is Rs 301.70 when adding delivery partner fees and platform fees, along with GST charges.

In his post, the customer questioned the Rs 37 cost for paper packaging and wrote,

@zomato @zomatocare What are they packing my food into!!?! Is it coming wrapped in gold or something? 40 rupees for paper wrapping seems outrageous. Disappointed.

@zomato @zomatocare
What are they packing my food into!!?! Is it coming wrapped in gold or something?
40 rupees for paper wrapping seems outrageous.
Disappointed. pic.twitter.com/jELg8yBUTH

— rabbit 🐇 (@gaylord_21) January 5, 2026

How did Zomato respond to the post?

Responding to the tweet, Zomato Care clarified that packaging charges are not set by the platform. They also added that they would raise this concern with the restaurant involved. The food delivery platforms wrote,

Hi there, packaging charges are decided solely by our restaurant partners. We will raise it with them. Please share the restaurant details with us via DM!

Hi there, packaging charges are decided solely by our restaurant partners. We will raise it with them. Please share the restaurant details with us via DM! https://t.co/jcTFuGT2Se

— Zomato Care (@zomatocare) January 5, 2026

However, this explanation did not satisfy the customer fully.

In a subsequent comment, the user added that while restaurant pricing for packaging is necessary, they questioned why every charge added to the bill is necessary. The user noted that Zomato often includes reduced prices for items that cannot be clipped by coupons, encouraging consumers to increase the size of their baskets.

C’mon yaar first the restaurant charges and Zomato prices are different,then u add pre discounted items which are not eligible for coupans,then u increase the prices of items in the cart so that a useless coupan lowers it a bit but still add restaurant charges to make it even😭🫡

— rabbit 🐇 (@gaylord_21) January 5, 2026

Individually, none of the platform fee, delivery fee, packaging cost, or GST seems inordinately high, but together, these often make the final bill soar well above the listed price of the food. For now, Zomato seems to hold that transparency is achieved by showing each and every charge clearly before checkout, and responsibility for packaging lies with restaurant partners. Whether the explanation is enough to appease cost-conscious customers remains an open question—one that continues to surface, tweet by tweet, order by order.

What do you think about this? Do share your thoughts with us in the comment section of this article.