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Zomato has rolled out a new feature for users in India which aims to minimise food wastage caused by cancelled orders
Now you can grab cancelled Zomato orders nearby for discounted prices
Zomato has rolled out a new feature for users in India which aims to minimise food wastage caused by cancelled orders. This feature, announced by Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal on Twitter, allows customers near a cancelled order’s original delivery route to claim the food at a significant discount, provided it’s still in its untampered, original packaging.
“We don’t encourage order cancellation at Zomato, because it leads to a tremendous amount of food wastage. In spite of stringent policies, and a no-refund policy for cancellations, more than 4 lakh perfectly good orders get canceled on Zomato, for various reasons by customers,” he Goyal on X.
The cancelled orders will be made available for a short time period (to ensure freshness) in their original untampered packaging. Customers will now be able to grab the order at an ‘unbeatable price’ and receive it within minutes. Food Rescue will automatically show up on the app home page if there is indeed a canceled order available.
Goyal said most restaurants affiliated with the food aggregator platform had agreed to the change. Restaurant partners will now receive compensation for the original canceled order as well as a portion of the amount paid by the new customer if the order gets claimed. The eateries will also be able to easily opt out of the initiative if they wished to make a change.
“Zomato will not keep any proceeds (except the required government taxes). The amount paid by the new customer will be shared with the original customer (if they made payment online), and with the restaurant partner. Orders containing items sensitive to distances or temperature such as ice creams, shakes, smoothies, and certain perishable items, will not be eligible for Food Rescue,” Goyal clarified.
We don’t encourage order cancellation at Zomato, because it leads to a tremendous amount of food wastage.Inspite of stringent policies, and and a no-refund policy for cancellations, more than 4 lakh perfectly good orders get canceled on Zomato, for various reasons by customers.… pic.twitter.com/fGFQQNgzGJ
— Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) November 10, 2024
How Does It Work?
With Food Rescue, customers within a 3km radius of a delivery partner carrying a cancelled order will see it appear on their app’s home screen, available to “rescue” at a reduced price. This listing will remain visible for only a few minutes to ensure the order’s freshness. Orders with temperature-sensitive items such as ice creams, smoothies, or items that could degrade in quality during transit will be excluded from this program.
To assure that the initiative supports those impacted financially by cancellations, Zomato has arranged that any payment from new customers claiming a rescued order will be divided between the original customer (if prepaid) and the restaurant, while Zomato itself takes no proceeds beyond necessary taxes.
Restaurants, compensated for the original order, will additionally receive a portion of the resale amount. Delivery partners are fully paid for both the initial pickup and any redelivery required, ensuring no loss in their earnings.
Addressing why the food isn’t simply donated, Goyal noted logistical and legal obstacles: “Most places where we can distribute them are away from urban centers, and distributing free food to the needy is fraught with liability challenges.” Thus, Zomato has limited the initiative to orders that were already en route.
The Food Rescue feature is now being gradually rolled out across the Zomato app, allowing users to refresh their home page and view any nearby cancelled orders that are available to claim.
