Zomato launches food rescue feature; How to book canceled orders with a discount

Last updated:November 11, 2024, 2:30 PM IST

Zomato has launched a new feature for users in India that aims to minimize food waste from canceled orders

Now you can purchase canceled Zomato orders near you at discounted prices

Zomato has launched a new feature for users in India that aims to minimize food waste from canceled orders. This feature, announced by Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal on Twitter, allows customers who are close to the original delivery route of a canceled order to receive the food at a significant discount as long as it is still in the original, undamaged packaging.

“We do not encourage canceling orders on Zomato as it results in huge food waste. “Despite strict guidelines and a no refund policy on cancellations, more than 400,000 perfectly good orders on Zomato are canceled by customers due to various reasons,” he told Goyal on X.

The canceled orders will be made available in their original packaging for a short period of time (to ensure freshness). Customers can now pick up the order at an “unbeatable price” and receive it within minutes. Food Rescue will automatically appear on the app’s home page when a canceled order is actually available.

Goyal said most restaurants associated with the food aggregator platform have agreed to the change. Restaurant partners will now receive compensation for the originally canceled order as well as a portion of the amount paid by the new customer if the order is complained about. Restaurants can also easily opt out of the initiative if they want to make a change.

“Zomato does not retain any proceeds (other than required government taxes). The amount paid by the new customer will be shared with the original customer (if the payment was made online) and the restaurant partner. “Orders containing items that are sensitive to distance or temperature, such as ice cream, shakes, smoothies and certain perishable items, are not eligible for food rescue,” Goyal clarified.

How does it work?

With Food Rescue, customers within 3km of a delivery partner who has a canceled order will see it on their app’s home screen and can “rescue” it at a reduced price. This listing will only remain visible for a few minutes to ensure the freshness of the order is excluded from this program.

To ensure the initiative supports those financially affected by cancellations, Zomato has ensured that all payments from new customers claiming a saved order will be split between the original customer (if prepaid) and the restaurant, while Zomato itself does not receive any income beyond the necessary taxes.

Restaurants that are compensated for the original order will also receive a portion of the resale amount. Delivery partners are paid in full for both the initial collection and any redelivery, so they do not suffer any loss of earnings.

Addressing why the food is not simply donated, Goyal pointed to logistical and legal hurdles: “Most of the places where we can distribute it are outside urban centers, and distributing free food to the needy is fraught with liability issues .” Therefore, Zomato limited the initiative on orders that were already on the way.

The Food Rescue feature is now gradually rolling out on the Zomato app and allows users to refresh their homepage and view all nearby canceled orders that are available to be availed.