Swiggy, Blinkit, Zepto rate users and delivery workers: Here's how it works

“Everyone is being ranked — you, me, everyone,” says Rakesh Yadav (name changed), a Swiggy customer chat support executive. “Customers are ranked based on the frequency of orders and the number of returns or refunds they initiate. Delivery partners are ranked on their number and efficiency of deliveries.”

 

Yadav is referring to the internal systems at quick-commerce platforms like Swiggy, the Zomato-owned Blinkit and Zepto, which classify customers and delivery workers in ways that affect the quality of service users receive and the benefits or incentives delivery personnel get.

 

Customers: Valued or ‘fraud’? 

Swiggy, for instance, groups its customers into three broad categories: high, medium- and low-value users, which is mainly determined by how often they place orders, says an executive at the company. “A user placed in a high-value category receives better service in terms of refunds and customer support,” says Yadav. “Low-value customers are those who are either new or order only rarely.” 

Beyond value tiers, Swiggy also flags certain accounts as “fraud users”. Yadav explains that if someone raises complaints on every order and repeatedly seeks refunds, the account is scrutinised. “After two or three such cases, the customer is asked to email the complaint. The mail team reviews it, and if a pattern emerges, the account is categorised as fraudulent,” he says.

Support staff like Yadav can see a customer’s profile as soon as a complaint is raised, including how much of the total order value in the last three months was refunded. These records are reset quarterly if there are no refund requests or if the account remains inactive.

 

Blinkit, meanwhile, uses a more layered approach. Shyam Singh (name changed), who is familiar with the company’s internal operations, says Blinkit classifies users into multiple tiers such as silver, gold, and so on. Every new user begins at the lowest level and can be promoted or demoted based on their order frequency and order value, he says. The status, however, isn’t permanent; it is recalibrated regularly depending on recent user behaviour, he adds. 

“The implications of these tiers are significant,” Singh adds. “Customers in lower tiers are rarely eligible for refunds or compensation unless there is a serious error. On the other hand, higher-tier users generally receive more generous refunds, often up to the full value of the order, along with additional vouchers or coupons,” he adds. As for users in the middle, they are sometimes offered partial refunds or goodwill compensation on a case-to-case basis, Singh explains. 

Delivery partners: Targets, tiers, pressures   Delivery partners, too, are subject to complex ranking systems. Ajay Kumar (name changed), a Swiggy delivery partner waiting outside a dark store in central Delhi, confirms that workers are ranked. “A high ranking brings greater benefits, including enhanced insurance cover, priority access to preferred time slots for work and other operational privileges,” he says.

Though delivery jobs are often marketed as flexible, the incentive structures subtly pressure workers to maintain their rank, sometimes encouraging unsafe practices. 

Zepto, for instance, has ‘Zepto Star’, a tiered performance scheme tied to delivery partners’ benefits. Each upgrade brings extra perks, incentivising consistent performance. Zepto pays partners a fixed rate per kilometre for deliveries and a lower rate for return journeys, making earnings dependent on distance and incentive-based payments, says a delivery partner who does not wish to be named. 

To qualify for incentives, Zepto partners must complete specific slots each day, including two during peak hours and one during non-peak hours, he adds. Shifts vary: part-time partners get two-hour slots, while full-time partners have four-hour blocks. “A 10-minute break is allowed every two hours, but partners are encouraged to stay available throughout their shift,” says a Zepto delivery partner at a pickup point in east Delhi. 

“The emphasis on slot completion, tier-linked benefits and incentive-driven availability subtly nudges partners to remain continuously available, resulting in a workforce navigating constant pressure,” says a senior delivery partner who has worked for both Swiggy and Zepto. 

Questions emailed to Swiggy, Zomato (Blinkit’s parent company), and Zepto did not elicit a response till the time of publication.

Swiggy’s delivery executives, meanwhile, are enrolled in a ‘Partner Club,’ a tiered ranking system that categorises workers into gold, silver or bronze. To join, a partner must complete 100 orders, explains one. After that, ranks are based on a score earned across deliveries: a “perfect” delivery earns full points, a “normal” one earns half, and a “bad” delivery earns none, he says. 

To secure a perfect rating, delivery partners must meet tight benchmarks — arrive on time, make no more than one call to the customer, and ensure the order is undamaged, says Kumar, referring to information visible in the Swiggy partner app. 

Yet the system can be unforgiving. “Since rankings are recalculated weekly, any temporary inability to work, due to illness, family emergencies or other external factors, can lead to a downgrade, causing loss of benefits when they are needed most,” says another delivery partner. 

Incentives peak during lunch and dinner hours and seasonal festivals, pushing partners to remain active during high-pressure periods. Pay includes a flat base fee, surge rates, and bonuses, but there are caveats. 

As one delivery partner explains, “Simply making the total number of required orders is not enough to get incentives. To qualify, you must meet extra requirements such as staying active for at least three out of four hours in a shift.” 

Although Swiggy offers in-app training on etiquette and platform use, it does not have a formal break policy. “You can log off, but doing so might cost you the day’s incentive,” says Kumar. 

While some exceptions are made — such as for incorrect addresses, adverse weather or unresponsive customers — a senior partner says the system is such that “delivery partners, especially younger ones working due to financial pressures, end up adopting risky behaviour”.

 

Blinkit, which leads the quick-commerce industry with a 46 per cent market share, ranks its delivery workers based on metrics such as speed, number of completed orders, cancellation rates and customer feedback. Delivery partners say that unlike Swiggy, Blinkit has four tiers: diamond, gold, silver and bronze. But the result is similar — higher-ranked workers enjoy better benefits.

 

“We have to consistently complete a certain number of orders to move up the ranks. If we miss the target, we are pushed down to a lower tier,” says a Blinkit delivery partner. “The delivery slots we can book, which affect our incentives and chances of getting better insurance, all depend on how the company ranks us.”

 

Dark stores: In the dark 

Efforts to visit dark stores operated by Zepto, Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart across Delhi revealed a uniformly guarded environment. At each location, entry beyond the pickup area was denied, and no information on worker policies or site management was displayed on the premises. 

Some common features were visible across stores: designated waiting areas with basic amenities such as drinking water and air coolers. Partners at each site confirmed that washrooms were available. 

However, workers also reported that these facilities were often insufficient for the number of people waiting. Crowded conditions frequently force delivery partners to spill into nearby alleys or perch on their bags while awaiting orders – all the while hoping to stay on top of the ratings game. 

Fast and furious

 

India’s quick-commerce industry expected to grow threefold between 2024 and 2027, touching an estimated ₹1.5 trillion-₹1.7 trillion, according to management consultancy Kearney

 

By 2027, the industry expected to extend to all towns with a population of 500,000 or more

 

To support this growth, a large number of delivery personnel will be needed. A NITI Aayog report projects the gig workforce to triple by 2030 – from 7.7 million in 2023 to 23 million

 

 

Georgie Koithara and Md Kaifee Alam are Business Standard-Rahul Khullar journalism interns