If you run a restaurant, you’ve probably heard of Zomato Gold and Swiggy One. These are membership programs that food delivery apps offer to customers. But which one is better for your business? Let’s break it down in the simplest way possible!
First, what are these programs?
- Zomato Gold: Customers pay for a membership and get free delivery, special discounts, and priority support on Zomato.
- Swiggy One: Customers pay for a membership and get free delivery, extra discounts, and deals on Swiggy Instamart & Genie (grocery & package delivery).
Both sound great, right? But let’s dig deeper!
How do they affect your restaurant?
- More orders? Yes, but…
- Zomato Gold claims that members order 40% more frequently than non-members.
- Swiggy One members also order more often, but they also use Swiggy Instamart & Genie.
- Many restaurants report a 20-30% increase in total sales after enrolling in these programs.
- Customers who subscribe to these memberships tend to spend more per order, meaning bigger bills for your restaurant.
If you want more food orders, Zomato Gold might be a better bet!
- Higher discounts = Lower profits?
- Zomato Gold often gives 20-40% discounts to members. This discount comes from your pocket (unless Zomato has a special deal).
- Swiggy One offers discounts & free delivery, but Swiggy partly absorbs the delivery cost, so it might be easier on your margins.
- Some restaurant owners say they lose out on profits when offering steep discounts on Zomato Gold, making it harder to maintain revenue.
- Swiggy’s model allows for controlled discounts, meaning you don’t have to give away too much.
If you want to protect your profits, Swiggy One could be better.
- Which has more customers?
- Zomato: 17 million monthly active users (2023 data)
- Swiggy: 20 million monthly active users (2023 data)
- Zomato Gold has 3 million+ paying members, while Swiggy One has 2.5 million+ subscribers.
- Swiggy is stronger in Southern and Western India, while Zomato leads in Northern and Eastern India.
Both platforms are big! But Swiggy has a slight edge in active users.
If you want to reach more people, Swiggy One might have a bigger audience.
- Do you get paid faster?
- Zomato pays partner restaurants in 3-5 days.
- Swiggy pays partner restaurants in 3-4 days.
- Faster payments help restaurants manage cash flow better, ensuring smoother operations.
Not a big difference, but Swiggy is a little faster.
If fast payments matter, Swiggy wins by a small margin.
- Extra features that help your business
- Zomato Gold offers priority listing for partner restaurants, meaning more visibility on the app.
- Swiggy One gives partner restaurants access to Swiggy Genie, which helps with quick deliveries beyond food.
- Zomato also has dining-out discounts, meaning customers might visit your restaurant in person too.
- Swiggy’s loyalty program keeps customers coming back, which could lead to higher repeat orders.
If better visibility matters, Zomato Gold might be the better option. If customer retention is key, Swiggy One has an advantage.
So, what’s the final verdict?
- Choose Zomato Gold if: You want more frequent food orders, and you don’t mind offering bigger discounts. It’s better for restaurants in high footfall areas that can handle bulk orders.
- Choose Swiggy One if: You want better margins, a bigger audience, and slightly faster payments. It’s great for restaurants focusing on steady profits rather than just high sales volume.
OR… you can list your restaurant on both and see which one works better! Many restaurants do this and track their performance over 3-6 months.
Bonus tip: Track your numbers!
- Check how many orders you get from Zomato vs. Swiggy.
- See how much profit you make after discounts.
- Look at how fast you get paid.
- Monitor customer retention—which platform brings in repeat customers?
By doing this, you’ll know what’s best for YOUR restaurant!
Final Thought:
Zomato Gold or Swiggy One? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Try both, watch your numbers, and choose the one that helps you earn more and grow faster!