Do you ever look at someone and wonder, what is going on in their head? Well if you ask me, i’d probably be thinking about food. An essential item needed in order to sustain a healthy life is also something that brings people together, joy and fulfilment, tells stories and is rich with culture imbued with the love of the chef cooking.
Good food is certainly not hard to find, however, everyone has a different taste palette and it is onerous to cook a dish that can satisfy everyone. The environment in which one dines contributes to the taste of food. Hence, many restaurants have adopted innovative and cultural designs such that your eyes feast as well.
However, we have been robbed of such experiences due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns. Many had to resort to staying at home and cooking up their own meals while being restricted within their home parameters for months.
This popularised the idea of food delivery to the house as one could satisfy their cravings in a couple of taps. Although the environment in which one dines might not be as sophisticated as the restaurant they could have dined in, the vicinity of home does bring comfort and there is no need to worry about table etiquette or making a mess.
Which is the best Food Delivery App in Singapore? In this article we’ll be looking at my experiences using the big 3 delivery apps: Deliveroo, Foodpanda and Grabfood and ranking them in terms of desirability.
GrabFood
Benefits of using Grab instead of the other options are an insurmountable amount mainly because it boils down to Grab being a Super App that caters to various industries such as transportation, food, payment and others.
Due to the focus on user experience of the app itself and using information and data from its sizable user base, Grab is able to curate the best form of its application to suit the fluctuating needs of its users.
Some of the distinct features that Grab has includes using GrabPay, and use of points that can be accumulated through various means be it food deliveries, transportation, priority delivery or the use of Grab wallet to make purchases.
Not to mention, the variety of deals and offers it has for the user’s benefits such as “Tea Time free delivery promotion” from 2.30pm to 5pm, “20% off self pick orders” and “40% off GrabMart orders”. In addition, Grab recognises the importance of local food cuisine and hence has offers for local delights as well.
Ordering process
In terms of the ordering process, it is nothing short of seamless. Firstly, you can confirm your house location and start exploring. Grab curates your past orders and recommends similar restaurants to soothe your cravings. You can add or remove the items with ease and confirm your order before sending it for delivery.
GrabFood has a group order feature where you can send a link to your friends to open up in the Grab App to add their items into the same cart. This way, you don’t have to pass around that one phone just for everyone to order. However, Deliveroo and FoodPanda also have this feature, so it’s nothing too special.
Rewards system
Grab has a component on its checkout page which reminds you of the existing offers that you already possess, or discounts accumulated from your points collected.
GrabPay Rewards points are awarded based on your tier and payment method. So by taking the GrabRewards points needed for a S$5 Grab ride voucher (2500 points), we can calculate the percentage cashback for each tier.
| Member/Silver | Gold | Platinum | |
| GrabRewards points earned per dollar | 3 | 4.5 | 6 |
| Percentage cashback (%) | 0.6 | 0.9 | 1.2 |
These points can be collected from making trips on Grab using Grab taxi, ordering food from Grab food or supplies from Grab mart, booking hotels, investing etc.
You can also earn massive points by participating in competitions such as the Mcbreakfast challenge where regularly spending money on Mcbreakfast meals could garner you a whopping 3000 points.
Additional Features
Grab’s checkout page also has a unique option for priority delivery which ensures that you get your meal faster for a fee of $2 or receive a voucher if it is late. If you’re facing exasperating hunger or running out of time, this feature would be a godsend for you. May the highest bidder win.
Additionally, the checkout page has an option for you to request for cutlery. This is part of Grab’s initiative to reduce carbon footprint and to prevent the waste of plastic. However, in situations whereby you do need cutlery (like you’re ordering for lunch at work) the chances of them actually providing you with cutlery is very slim from my experiences.
It has led to instances of trying to eat pasta with spoons or chopsticks due to the lack of proper cutlery provided despite requesting it. It is up to the merchants to follow the instructions, so I cannot fault Grab in this regard.
Payment
Payment wise, like all delivery apps, one can pay using debit, credit cards and a variety of options. However, what sets Grab apart from its competitors is its option to use the GrabPay wallet as a means for payment. What’s missing is Google and Apple Pay which are both accepted in Deliveroo and FoodPanda.
It is also encouraged by the company by incentivising customers with a 6x reward reaping benefit (reward reaping rate is accelerated if you’re a gold tier user). You can top-up the wallet using a myriad of payment methods and use it to pay anywhere that has a GrabPay QR code.
Delivery Time
Like with any delivery process, the exact time taken to deliver the food is an unpredictable variable which can be affected due to things such as weather, traffic etc. Grab usually updates its users of delays if any, however, there have been instances whereby orders have been cancelled after an hour of waiting due to “shortage of riders”.
There have also been incidents of riders placing the food on top of some object and leaving without informing the user of the food’s arrival. This issue is more pertinent in orders that were paid using online means instead of cash. It would be unfair to pin the blame on Grab itself as delivery is subjective to the kind of rider you are assigned to.
Cancellations and Customer Service
If you botched your order, there is nothing to fear as Grab’s cancellation process is smooth and money will be automatically not deducted: Funds are put on file on your card instead. It is an agonising yet undeniable fact that group orders tend to have certain food orders missing or replaced with something else instead.
However, Grab’s customer service is swift and down to the point and will refund you accordingly based on the mistakes on the orders. Agents will usually get back within a couple of hours from your submission of a complaint via email and may request for you to fill up a survey.
Deliveroo
Deliveroo has an iconic turquoise colour to its app. Deliveroo, like Grab, has comprehensive features that make food delivery a convenient process. The smooth animations and cool graphics make it pleasant to use.
Ordering process
Upon selecting your location, you are able to pick from a variety of restaurants be it hawkers or 5 star restaurants. However, in comparison to Grab and Foodpanda, I must say that the options are rather limited and if you are craving for a particular delicacy, the chances of them not being able to deliver to your area is very high.
Especially if your work place turns out to be in the middle of nowhere, it’s harder to source for restaurants that might satisfy your taste palette.
Some shops do not have pictures to support the dish stated in the menu page either hence adventurous customers looking for new places to buy food from might not have pictorial illustration to make references and come to a decision.
Nonetheless, the ordering process is quite smooth for a modern delivery app.
Rewards system
Just like Grab, they do have a wide array of vouchers. Recommending a friend to get the app will garner you $16 worth of vouchers (4 x $4 vouchers with $30 minimum spend). You get 50% off your first order and you can earn more rewards as you purchase food. Deliveroo also has a “offer” section to earn rewards as you continue to make food orders.
However, from experience, the percentage discount mentioned in the offer and the actual discount you might get after ordering might not tally hence ensure to read the fine print that comes with each “discount” coupon!
Deliveroo might not have a rewards system like Grab, but it does have some occasional promotions where they credit back a certain sum of money when spent on specific outlets for your next purchase.
Additional Features
Unlike GrabFood, it does have something that sets it apart from its competitors: a premium subscription service, Deliveroo Plus. This service brings you perks such as free delivery for orders above $18, access to special restaurant offers starting from $6.90 per month.
There is a catch though. The $6.90 price only offers you free delivery on orders above $38. If you want a lower minimum qualifying amount of $18, that would be $12.90 per month. Deliveroo has a free trial now where you can try out Deliveroo Plus for free for 14 days before cancelling.
I personally did not find my 14 days worth it as the minimum order amount is rather high for my smaller orders. There were indeed more options and restaurants offered to me to choose from the account privilege, but it was nothing too spectacular.
However, if you are someone who does group orders regularly then Deliveroo Plus might be the best thing since sliced bread for you. Deliveroo Plus also has the feature of selecting the need for cutlery.
However, as mentioned earlier, seldom does the cutlery actually arrive in one piece for you to dine peacefully as the percentage of people that remember to check the “request cutlery” box is too little for restaurants to get used to.
Payment
Unlike FoodPanda or GrabFood, Deliveroo does not have its own E-wallet. However it does accept most common types of payment such as debit, credit cards and Apple Pay. Payment process is relatively seamless.
Delivery Time
As mentioned earlier, delivery time varies from company to company as the fate of your food is in the hands of your rider.
However, after doing some research after ordering from all these apps the same number of times, the probability of your order via Deliveroo taking longer than expected is definitely higher than your GrabFood being delayed. The fleet simply feels smaller than Grab’s.
Cancellations and Customer Service
The cancellation process is pretty smooth as well however with regards to customer service I do not make excellent remarks to make. I will indeed give the benefit of the doubt given the circumstances of the incidents. However, there is no escaping the dreadfulness of missing food orders.
FoodPanda
If one were to identify a company that was first to the food delivery scene in Singapore, it would be an unanimous choice of it being FoodPanda. Established first in Singapore back in 2012, it has since expanded to various countries in Asia.
It has definitely been a rocky road for Foodpanda with various management changes in the midst of global expansion and has finally landed in the hands of Delivery Hero brandishing it with the iconic pink colour. Like most delivery companies that flourished during the pandemic, Foodpanda did too see a rise in sales as it was a more convenient choice for many.
Fun fact: Delivery Hero has a 5% stake in Deliveroo, so I’m pretty sure these two companies won’t go all out with each other in a pricing war.
Ordering process
Foodpanda has a smooth interface that is easy to use and appealing for the eyes as well. Upon confirming your delivery location, swipe away to find the food place you are looking for. Foodpanda does have a huge base of options for you to choose from.
However, there is a comparatively higher “minimum spend” amount required for most restaurants and if you were to order something less than the threshold value that the food place has set, a small order fee applied to ensure that the minimum value is reached.
Hence it is not advisable to order using Foodpanda for small orders that would not sum up to as much as the minimum spend fee. Go to Grab or Deliveroo for smaller orders.
Rewards system
Foodpanda bears striking resemblance to Grab’s features. Foodpanda too has the option “Tea time free delivery” at selected outlets and challenges for users to complete inorder to receive extra points with which one can level up their panda status for added benefits and free coupons.
You can order food and start collecting points upon which you can redeem vouchers very similar to Grab. There are challenges to be won and badges to be earned with Foodpanda. What sets Foodpanda apart is the level of effort they have put into this rewards system such that it mimics a game of sorts.
Additional Features
Unlike Grab, Foodpanda too does not have the feature of priority delivery but it does have the cutlery option which we’ve been over. Foodpanda has a impressive track record in terms of delivering cutlery
Foodpanda has something exclusive known as the “Panda Box”. This feature provides the user with 3 tiers of vouchers namely $4, $7 and $10 discount based on the amount of food order. In order to receive a panda box voucher, users must complete a food order transaction without 15 mins of ordering which is practical for people who know what they want. The offered restaurants are randomised though.
Just like Deliveroo, Foodpanda has a membership deal as well. One can purchase a panda pro account for a fee from $3.99 per month with delivery fee subsidised and many more benefits.
Delivery fees on FoodPanda are rather high and hence it does seem like a value to purchase the panda pro membership especially if you order food often. Free delivery is also available for selected restaurants, and you won’t know the list of merchants before committing to a plan.
In addition, the $3.99 per month price only applies if you pay the annual cost in one shot. It works out to $4.99 and $7.99 per month if you pay the cost half-yearly and monthly respectively. No free trial is available unlike Deliveroo Pro.
Payment
Like Grab, Foodpanda has also adopted the e-payment approach and created their own e-wallet, the PandaPay wallet. It acts similar to the GrabPay Wallet where money can be spent using the panda wallet after topping it up from a bank account.
Instead of receiving incentives like points in Grab, FoodPanda provides cashback for selected merchants instantly after the use of the PandaPay wallet, to make other purchases with the remaining balance.
Delivery Time
Despite mentioning that riders are responsible for our delivery timings and unforeseen circumstances do occur at times, Foodpanda does have a reputation for having long delivery waiting time as the time stated in the app may not be up to date or there might be delay.
Many have encountered their FoodPanda order never being received in time and their concerns are arguably justifiable. Again, this is my personal experience, so your mileage may vary.
Cancellations and Customer Service
Cancellations in FoodPanda is fine. However, if you do have issues with your orders and would like to get a refund, the money will be refunded back to your PandaPay wallet instead of your payment method. You will then have to manually transfer it back into your preferred payment method.
Sneakily enough, the default option for refunds is to the PandaPay wallet. So if you don’t check your credit card statements often, you may find funds stuck in the wallet unless you manually transfer it out.
Conclusion
So where does this lead us? I personally prefer Grab over the other delivery apps due to the ease of app usage and clear interface. Other delivery options do have something unique to them, but I believe that in the long run Grab is a more sustainable option due to its simplicity and great deal of clarity it provides the customers.
Grab’s rewards system is the most robust out of the 3, with possibly the largest fleet of drivers and network of merchants. While it doesn’t offer free delivery subscriptions like the other two anymore, the regular off-peak free delivery promotions make up for it.
The app I would award the second spot would be Deliveroo, mainly because of the lower minimum order sizes across the board, and a generally better customer service. I’m pretty sure you heard of horror stories of FoodPanda service agents refusing refunds for undelivered orders.
The cunning practice of defaulting all refunds to the PandaPay wallet regardless of the payment method is downright iffy to me. Any unassuming customer would think that their refunds will be credited back to their card within 3 days, but PandaPay’s manual transferring of funds back to the initial payment method extends this wait to 5-7 days.
Food as a whole is something that can always be appreciated no matter the circumstance and I hope advancements in technology will continue to grow and make ordering and enjoying our favourite treats as convenient as possible. That being said I hope more people would learn to cook home meals instead of defaulting to food delivery for health, economic and environmental reasons.
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