Online food orders more expensive than take out, consumer watchdog finds

The Consumer Council earlier tested six commonly used food ordering platforms among Hong Kongers and found that the majority of prices on food ordering platforms were higher than those of takeout.

The consumer watchdog tested six ordering platforms, Deliveroo, Foodpanda, KeeTa, KFC, McDelivery, and Pizza Hut.

The watchdog found that about 83 to more than 90 percent of food prices are higher than the average takeout price. Only about 9 to nearly 14 percent of food prices were cheaper due to the platform.

Among the food samples, the higher percentages of price difference on each platform were found to be rolls with chopped scallions and fresh tortellini, which had a difference of 61.5 percent on Deliveroo, and mushroom cream chicken soup, which had a difference of 52.9 percent on Keeta, etc.

As for the three chain restaurant platforms, only Pizza Hut's food prices are roughly the same as its restaurant takeout prices, and two of the food items are slightly lower on the platform.

In comparison, KFC holds 70 percent of the food prices that were more expensive compared to restaurant takeout, and nearly 30 percent of the food prices were lower. Among them, the food with the largest price difference costs HK$17 for a la carte on the platform, while restaurant takeout costs only HK$12.5, a difference of 36 percent.

The Consumer Council found that even if you order food from the same restaurant, the food types, prices, and discounts on the menus of various ordering platforms tend to differ.

The watchdog ordered from the same restaurant in a local area through three integrated platforms on six occasions at similar times of day, requested delivery to the same address, and found different menus on two different occasions.

A price difference of about 7.7 percent was also found on one occasion, despite ordering the same food.