A netizen wrote a post online, seemingly to slam restaurants for the ‘small order charge’ which are imposed on consumers who order food from apps like Grab, FoodPanda and Deliveroo etc.

The netizen added that the ‘small order charge’ on platforms like Grab, FoodPanda and Deliveroo etc should be removed because if he or she were to go down to the vendor and order instead, he or she would not be charged extra for not meeting the minimum order fee.

Here is what the netizen said

“Does anyone else feel that the small order charges on apps like Grab, FoodPanda and Deliveroo etc , in addition to the normal delivery fees and other ‘miscellaneous’ charges already in place, by some vendors in food delivery apps is totally ridiculous and should be removed?

If we were to order the same things in person at the actual location, we would not have been charged on apps like Grab, FoodPanda and Deliveroo etc for not meeting the minimum order of say, $15.

So why should vendors even be allowed to take advantage of consumers who use the app in this manner? And the sad thing is while we have to pay that additional charge on Grab, FoodPanda and Deliveroo etc, this does not equate to an increase in portion sizes or more ingredients in our orders.

It is for this reason I boycott vendors who practice this ridiculous money-grabbing tactic.”

Fellow netizen explained the rationale

“The small order fee is 100% a push by the delivery platform (i.e. Grab, Foodpanda, Deliveroo) and not by the vendor. Whoever is working at these delivery platforms and telling you it’s vendors who are imposing the fee are almost certainly lying.

A common misconception that people have is the “delivery fee” in the app is how much the delivery riders on Grab, Foodpanda, Deliveroo etc get paid. This is not true. Riders get paid on a different pay scale which is completely different from the delivery fee you see in the app. Nobody is going to travel 3 km to you to earn $5.

The actual number is probably around $6 – $10 per order depending on distance. How does Grab pay their riders $10 when the “delivery fee” is only $5, you ask? From the 30% cut they take from the vendors, of course.

But what if the 30% cut is not enough to cover the difference? Then Grab lose money? That’s right. But who wants to lose money right?

What if there is a way to make it so that the 30% cut is always enough to cover the difference? What if we introduce a small order fee? :)”

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