Blink and you pay: The 10-minute tomato and cola might cost more than you think

Time of India

07-07-2025

A few months ago, buying a bunch of bananas or a packet of sugar at 10pm with just a few taps on your phone felt like magic. For many in India's big cities, 10-minute
grocery delivery
became a habit — a small luxury that promised speed and ease. But now, that convenience is coming at a cost, ToI reported.
More and more users of
Swiggy Instamart
,
Blinkit
, and Zepto are noticing that their bills have started to creep up — not because of the items themselves, but because of the quiet add-ons. From handling fees to rain surcharges, small cart penalties to surge pricing, consumers say they are now paying up to ₹50 extra on every small order.
The growing list of charges includes a fixed handling fee of ₹10 to ₹21, along with GST, delivery charges, small cart fees, rain fees, and surge pricing when applicable. While people still enjoy the convenience, many shoppers are going back to comparing prices — both offline and across different online platforms — before opening their
quick commerce
apps.
What once gave these platforms an edge over neighbourhood kiranas — better prices and delivery speed — is now being undone by their rising fee structures. Delhi-based consumer Urvashi Sharma said, "I buy fruits and vegetables from local vendors now. Fruits, for example, tend to be cheaper by ₹30-40. Tomatoes and peas usually are cheaper online, but if you add handling and delivery fees, it comes to the same amount."
Market researcher Satish Meena, adviser at Datum Intelligence, said that earlier, customers didn't think twice before placing frequent, small orders. But now they're more cautious — often delaying purchases or clubbing them together to avoid paying extra fees again and again. This shift in behaviour could hurt the gross order value (GOV) of these platforms and slow the movement of goods, which in turn increases the cost of running their dark stores.
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"Consumers are finding quick commerce a bit expensive, but convenience is still the winner. The platforms are trying to move consumers to planned purchases through plans like Super Saver and Maxxsaver, but there's a long way to go," Meena said.
Fee structures are not just increasing — they are also becoming harder to track.
Swiggy
and Zepto typically waive delivery fees if the order is worth around ₹200 or more. But Blinkit requires customers to spend at least ₹500 for free delivery. The platforms did not comment on their pricing policies.
Even the fixed fees aren't all that fixed. Swiggy's Instamart can charge anywhere between ₹10 and ₹15 depending on the order value. Zepto usually charges ₹21 for larger orders and ₹13 for smaller ones. Blinkit's handling fee is typically ₹11. Rain fees and surge fees are generally ₹15 and ₹30, respectively, and can be added when demand spikes or weather worsens.
For companies still running at a loss, these added charges help improve their financials. But for customers placing last-minute or small-sized orders — the kind that built the quick commerce habit in the first place — the rising costs are hard to justify.
Mumbai-based professional Nandini Paul said that even though she pays for premium services like
Swiggy
One and
Zepto Daily
to get discounts and benefits, she often ends up paying more than she would on Blinkit for the same basket. "Despite paying for Swiggy One membership and Zepto Daily to avail discounts and other benefits, I often end up paying higher prices on the platforms for the same cart compared to Blinkit," she said.
Another customer pointed out the illusion of discounts and free delivery. "There are hidden charges on quick commerce platforms and an illusion of discounts. These days, I think, if I had more time, I would directly shop from the market. But the fact that I can shop anytime of the day is a plus," the consumer said.
A recent
JM Financial
research note said most quick commerce platforms have increased the minimum order value needed to get free delivery. In a comparison of 11-item orders across
Instamart
, Zepto, Blinkit, and DMart Ready, Blinkit turned out to be the most expensive, while DMart Ready was the cheapest.
According to a report by Bain, quick commerce companies have improved their financials by increasing the value of each order, cutting supply chain costs, and boosting profit margins. They have done this by sourcing goods directly from farmers and producers, and by earning more through ads and platform fees. But to keep growing in a profitable way, these firms will have to change their business strategies for smaller towns and cities, deal with more competition, and make supply chains more efficient. The market is also shifting to a two-speed model, where a few products will be delivered in under 15 minutes, while a wider range will arrive within an hour.
As quick commerce expands into more cities and begins selling larger items like consumer electronics, the logistics will become more complicated. How well these platforms manage those challenges will decide how much of the overall e-commerce market they can capture.
The sector remains crowded, and while there is space for both kiranas and online platforms, one question continues to trouble consumers — how much is too much to pay for convenience?
(with ToI inputs)
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