Zomato and Swiggy have made food delivery from restaurants incredibly convenient, becoming go-to platforms for people craving quick meals. While they offer ease and accessibility, many users often feel frustrated when they encounter unexpected price fluctuations. This concern was recently voiced by a man named Harsha, who took to X to share his experience.
Customer raises concern over food price hike on platforms like Zomato and Swiggy
A customer named Harsha, who goes by the username @Harsha53743328, recently took to social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to express his disappointment over rising food prices on popular food delivery apps like Zomato and Swiggy. His tweet caught attention as it reflected a common concern among many app users —price inflation of simple food items that are otherwise quite affordable.
ADVERTISEMENT
Harsha shared that he usually orders two puris for a price ranging between Rs. 40 to Rs. 60. However, to his shock, he found that the same item was now listed at a much higher rate—Rs. 114.20—on both Zomato and Swiggy. Expressing his frustration, he wrote,
“Normally, the price of two puris ranges from Rs 40 to Rs 60. It is very cruel to see it being priced at Rs 114.20 on the Zomato or Swiggy app. We have to live, but it is wrong to live by drinking human blood.”
This strong statement shows just how disappointed he was with the pricing trend. He also attached a screenshot of the total amount to corroborate his claim.
Advertisment
Have a look at the whole tweet
Normally, the price of two puris ranges from Rs 40 to Rs 60. It is very cruel to see it being priced at Rs 114.20 on the Zomato or Swiggy app. We have to live, but it is wrong to live by drinking human blood. @zomato @fssaiindia @isostandards @nsitharaman @Swiggy pic.twitter.com/EwAvmRodvR
— Harsha (@Harsha53743328) July 25, 2025
Advertisment
Zomato responds after man flags high Puri price on social media
After expressing his disappointment over the unusually high price of two puris on food delivery apps, Harsha tagged not just the platforms like Zomato and Swiggy, but also government authorities such as FSSAI, ISO Standards, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
ADVERTISEMENT
By tagging these accounts, Harsha was clearly hoping that someone would take notice and initiate action or regulation to ensure fair and transparent pricing for food ordered online. His concern reflects what many customers feel when they see huge price differences for the same food items in physical restaurants versus food delivery apps.
Harsha’s post did not go unnoticed. The official customer support handle of Zomato, ZomatoCare, replied to his tweet in response to the tags. Zomato clarified that it only shows the menu and prices provided by restaurant partners and that the app itself doesn’t decide the pricing. Their comment read,
“Hi Harsha, please note that Zomato as a platform only provides you a menu with prices informed by Restaurant Partner & enables you to place a price informed order. Request you to share the order details with us via DM, so that we can look into the reported discrepancy.”
Hi Harsha, please note that Zomato as a platform only provides you a menu with prices informed by Restaurant Partner & enables you to place a price informed order. Request you to share the order details with us via DM, so that we can look into the reported discrepancy. https://t.co/jcTFuGSv2G
— Zomato Care (@zomatocare) July 25, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
This response was an attempt to address the concern and also reminded users that restaurants themselves are responsible for setting the prices on these platforms.
Why prices of food items are more expensive on platforms like Zomato and Swiggy?
Prices on food delivery platforms, be it Zomato or Swiggy, are typically higher than a restaurant’s in-house menu primarily due to the additional costs incurred by the restaurants. These include packaging expenses and significant commission fees paid to the delivery apps, which can range from 20% to 30% of the order value. Restaurants often factor these overheads directly into the online pricing to maintain their profit margins, making the same dishes more expensive on the app.
Furthermore, customers might experience even higher costs due to dynamic pricing strategies employed by the platforms. During peak demand or in specific locations, surge pricing and various platform fees are added to the bill, increasing the total amount payable. This means the convenience of delivery often comes with a noticeable markup compared to dining directly at the restaurant.
What are your thoughts on such price hike done by restaurants? Do you think it’s justified or do you still think it’s a lot? Do share via the comments below.
