Imagine saving up to ₹10,000 a year by paying a mere ₹500-₹1,000 for a membership. It sounds like an instant buy, right? But what if that same membership actually led you to spend an extra ₹15,000 to ₹20,000? This is the critical question Naba Zehra from Zee Business tackles in her segment, ‘Kharcon Ke Khiladi,’ as she dissects the true value of Swiggy One and Zomato Gold memberships.
Almost every smartphone today hosts either Swiggy One or Zomato Gold. For some, it’s the lure of free delivery; for others, restaurant discounts or grocery convenience. But Zehra’s core inquiry cuts to the chase: are these memberships genuine money-savers, or do they subtly encourage overspending?
Let’s break down what each platform promises. Swiggy One offers benefits across food delivery and, crucially, grocery delivery via Instamart. This makes it a comprehensive option for those who frequently order both. Zomato Gold, conversely, focuses primarily on food delivery and discounts at partner restaurants, positioning itself as a more food-centric subscription.
Zehra’s analysis reveals the potential savings. If you order food four times a month, with an average delivery fee of ₹40, you’d spend ₹1,920 annually on fees. A membership could net you ₹900-₹1,200 in savings after subtracting its cost. However, for a power user ordering 15 times a month, delivery fee savings could reach ₹7,000, potentially hitting ₹8,000-₹10,000 with additional discounts.
This is where the ‘trap’ emerges. Zehra highlights a common behavioral shift: a user who previously ordered eight times a month might increase to twelve orders after securing a ‘free delivery’ membership. Those four extra orders, at an average of ₹350 each, translate to an additional ₹1,400 per month, or a staggering ₹16,800 annually. In this scenario, while you might save ₹6,000 on delivery fees, you’ve inadvertently spent ₹16,800 more on food. The real profit for these companies, Zehra argues, isn’t just the membership fee, but the significant increase in order volume driven by the perception of ‘free.’
So, which membership is right for you? If you’re a regular online grocery shopper, ordering eight to ten times a month, Swiggy One likely offers better value due to its Instamart benefits. If your focus is purely on food delivery and restaurant dining discounts, Zomato Gold might be a better fit. However, if you only order two or three times a month, Zehra advises sticking to coupons and bypassing memberships altogether.
Before you subscribe, ask yourself these five critical questions: How often do I truly order food in a month? Do I also use the app for grocery delivery? Can I get similar discounts without a membership? Will taking a membership cause me to order more frequently? And critically, can I genuinely recover the membership cost through actual savings? Ultimately, Zehra concludes, the real winner isn’t the membership itself, but your disciplined ordering habits. Regular users might save, but succumbing to the ‘free delivery’ illusion can quickly derail your budget.
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