Excessive Price Differences Between Restaurants and Delivery Apps

2026-07-03T07:29:14.368Z

The article discusses consumer complaints about a clear difference between meal prices on delivery apps and their actual prices in restaurants, where the price of the same meal increases beyond the stated delivery fees. It points out that the lack of transparency between restaurants and apps regarding the reasons for this difference leaves the consumer alone bearing the cost of fees and charges, amidst superficial competition…

It has become normal for people to rely on delivery apps daily. Many no longer go to restaurants themselves; they open the app, order, and wait for delivery. But amidst this convenience, something has been bothering many people: the price difference between the menu on the apps and the actual menu inside the restaurant.

The meal we buy for 30 riyals from the restaurant suddenly becomes 42 or even 45 riyals on the app, and this difference has nothing to do with delivery fees, because those fees are listed separately. The difference is in the price of the meal itself, as if it were a different product.

Strangely, this difference comes without any explanation, neither from the app nor the restaurant. The price increases as if it's normal, as if the customer won't notice or will just pay and be quiet. This makes many people feel exploited, not just in price but even in the way they are treated.

Some restaurants justify this by saying the apps take a high commission, so they are forced to raise the price. Meanwhile, the apps market themselves as mere intermediaries that deliver the meal from one place to another, without interfering in prices. The result is that the consumer bears the burden, regardless of which side is responsible.

The problem is not just the price; the problem is the lack of transparency. There is no clarity explaining why this price exists or what justifies it. And the consumer, who should be the center of the service, has become the weakest link in a long chain of interests. The competition we all expect between apps has become superficial. Prices are similar, offers are repetitive, and the differences are small and do not truly serve the consumer.

Even the idea of 'compare and choose' is no longer useful, because all the options are similar. People are willing to pay for convenience, but they are not willing to be deceived. All they ask for is clarity, and that there be no exploitation of people's trust or circumstances. A difference in delivery price we can understand, but exaggerating the price of the meal itself makes the situation annoying and makes the customer feel like just a number amidst profits distributed among parties who only care about gain.

What is happening today is not just a difference in prices; it is the result of this general disregard that has allowed this reality to continue without accountability. What needs to happen today is greater awareness among people, and a clearer acknowledgment of the problem, so that change can begin. Because the convenience provided by apps should not come at the expense of the consumer twice: once in the bill, and once in the feeling of being exploited by them.