Zepto has raised the minimum order value required for free delivery to ₹199 from ₹149, according to a report, marking another step in the quick-commerce company’s efforts to improve order economics. The increase means customers placing smaller orders may now have to either add more products to their carts or pay a delivery charge, depending on the terms applicable to their account and location.
The latest move comes as India’s quick-commerce companies increasingly focus on improving profitability after years of prioritising rapid delivery, customer acquisition and order growth. Zepto’s own FY2026 draft red herring prospectus shows the scale of its business: the company processed 640.18 million orders during the fiscal year, averaging about 1.75 million orders a day, while revenue from operations more than doubled year on year to ₹22,623.6 crore.
Zepto Raises Free-Delivery Threshold To ₹199
The reported increase takes Zepto’s free-delivery threshold from ₹149 to ₹199, a ₹50 increase or roughly 33.6%.
The change is significant because quick-commerce customers often use these platforms for small, immediate purchases rather than traditional grocery baskets. A higher threshold could therefore encourage customers to add additional products to qualify for free delivery.
Zepto Free-Delivery Threshold: Key Numbers
| Metric | Earlier | New |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum order for free delivery | ₹149 | ₹199 |
| Absolute increase | — | ₹50 |
| Percentage increase | — | 33.6% |
| Orders below new threshold | Delivery fee may apply | Delivery fee may apply |
| Main objective | Customer convenience | Higher basket economics |
Infographic: The Threshold Has Moved
₹149
Earlier threshold
████████████████████
⬇ +₹50
₹199
New reported threshold
██████████████████████████
The increase means a customer whose basket is worth ₹160, for example, may no longer qualify for free delivery under the reported threshold.
The Change Is Part Of A Broader Shift In Quick Commerce
Zepto’s move comes against a broader industry trend in which quick-commerce platforms have been experimenting with delivery fees, minimum order values, handling charges and other monetisation mechanisms.
In June, reporting indicated that Zepto had already moved toward a demand-linked free-delivery threshold, with the minimum order value reaching ₹199 for some users and reportedly going as high as ₹299 in certain locations and during peak periods.
This suggests that the ₹199 figure should not necessarily be viewed as a single uniform threshold for every customer.
User reports also indicate that minimum order values can vary by location or account. Some users reported seeing ₹199, while others reported lower thresholds. Such reports are not official company disclosures, but they illustrate the potentially dynamic nature of quick-commerce delivery pricing.
How The Threshold Has Changed
| Period/Reported Level | Free-Delivery Threshold |
|---|---|
| Earlier reported level | ₹99 |
| Later reported level | ₹149 |
| Current reported level | ₹199 |
| Reported peak in some locations/times | ₹299 |
The progression shows how the industry is moving away from extremely low minimum order values that were common during the customer-acquisition phase.
₹199 Means A 33.6% Increase From ₹149
The numerical change is relatively straightforward but important for consumers.
The threshold has increased by ₹50:
₹199 − ₹149 = ₹50
As a percentage of the earlier ₹149 threshold:
₹50 ÷ ₹149 × 100 ≈ 33.6%
Free-Delivery Threshold Growth
₹99 → ₹149 → ₹199
₹99 to ₹149: +50.5%
₹149 to ₹199: +33.6%
₹99 to ₹199: +101.0%
This means the reported threshold has effectively doubled compared with the earlier ₹99 level.
The significance is not simply the size of the delivery fee. A higher threshold can influence how consumers construct their baskets, potentially increasing average order values if customers add products they were not originally planning to buy.
Why Zepto Could Be Raising The Minimum Order Value
Quick commerce is an expensive business model.
Orders must be picked and packed quickly at dark stores, transported over short distances and delivered within a narrow time window. When an order has a very low basket value, the logistics cost can represent a large proportion of the transaction.
A higher minimum order value can help spread delivery and fulfilment costs across a larger basket.
Small Basket Vs Larger Basket
| Customer Basket | ₹149 Threshold | ₹199 Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| ₹100 | May incur delivery fee | May incur delivery fee |
| ₹140 | May incur delivery fee | May incur delivery fee |
| ₹149 | Free delivery under old threshold | May incur delivery fee |
| ₹175 | Free delivery under old threshold | May incur delivery fee |
| ₹199 | Free delivery | Free delivery |
| ₹250 | Free delivery | Free delivery |
The strategy is therefore aimed at encouraging customers to place larger orders rather than necessarily increasing the headline delivery charge itself.
Zepto’s Business Has Expanded Rapidly
Zepto’s financial and operating data show why improving unit economics has become increasingly important.
According to its FY2026 draft red herring prospectus, Zepto processed 640.18 million orders during the year, compared with 332.11 million in FY2025 and 132.87 million in FY2024.
That represents a dramatic increase in order volume over two years.
Zepto Order Volume
| Fiscal Year | Total Orders |
|---|---|
| FY2024 | 132.87 million |
| FY2025 | 332.11 million |
| FY2026 | 640.18 million |
Order Growth Visual
FY2024
133M ███████
FY2025
332M █████████████████
FY2026
640M ████████████████████████████████
Zepto’s average orders per day also increased sharply, reaching approximately 1.75 million orders per day in FY2026, compared with around 910,000 in FY2025.
Revenue More Than Doubled In FY2026
Zepto’s revenue growth provides another indication of how quickly its business has scaled.
Revenue from operations increased to approximately ₹22,623.6 crore in FY2026, compared with ₹11,109.9 crore in FY2025 and ₹4,454.5 crore in FY2024, according to the company’s draft prospectus.
Zepto Revenue Trend
| Fiscal Year | Revenue From Operations |
|---|---|
| FY2024 | ₹4,454.5 crore |
| FY2025 | ₹11,109.9 crore |
| FY2026 | ₹22,623.6 crore |
Revenue therefore increased by more than 100% year on year in FY2026.
The scale is important because even relatively small changes in order economics can become financially meaningful when applied across hundreds of millions of annual orders.
Zepto Processed 1.75 Million Orders A Day
Zepto’s FY2026 average of approximately 1.75 million orders a day highlights the potential impact of changes to minimum order values.
If even a small portion of customers increases basket sizes to cross the ₹199 threshold, the additional merchandise value can become substantial across millions of transactions.
However, the strategy also carries a risk: customers who only need one or two low-value items may choose not to order at all or switch to another platform.
What Zepto Is Trying To Balance
Higher threshold
→ Larger baskets
→ Better economics per order
→ Potentially higher average order value
But
→ More expensive small orders
→ Possible customer resistance
→ Risk of switching to competitors
The success of the move will therefore depend on whether the increase in basket size outweighs any reduction in order frequency.
Customers Could Respond By Adding More Products
One likely behavioural response is “basket padding” — adding extra products to reach the free-delivery threshold.
For example, a customer with a ₹170 basket could add a ₹30 item and reach ₹200. Under a ₹199 threshold, that customer would then qualify for free delivery.
This could increase the average value of individual orders.
Example Of The Customer Decision
Original basket: ₹170
↓
₹29 additional product
↓
Final basket: ₹199
↓
Free delivery
The customer spends ₹29 more on merchandise but avoids a delivery fee.
For Zepto, the objective is to encourage this behaviour at scale.
But The Strategy Could Hurt Small-Basket Users
The biggest downside is likely to be felt by customers who use quick commerce primarily for urgent, low-value purchases.
Someone ordering a single packet of milk, bread, medicine-related household essentials, snacks or another inexpensive item may not want to increase the basket simply to avoid delivery charges.
That could make quick-commerce platforms less attractive for their original use case: convenience for small, immediate purchases.
The impact could be especially important in a market where customers can compare delivery costs across Zepto, Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart and other services.
Competition Remains Intense
Zepto is competing in a market where the leading platforms are all trying to increase order volumes while simultaneously improving profitability.
Its FY2026 prospectus reported 640.18 million orders for Zepto, compared with 916.60 million for Blinkit and 412.20 million for Instamart in the same comparative table.
Quick-Commerce Order Scale — FY2026
| Platform | FY2026 Orders |
|---|---|
| Blinkit | 916.60 million |
| Zepto | 640.18 million |
| Instamart | 412.20 million |
These figures show the scale of competition. Zepto has built a large order base, but it is competing against rivals with significant transaction volumes of their own.
What The ₹199 Threshold Means For Zepto
The free-delivery increase should be viewed as part of Zepto’s broader push toward better unit economics rather than simply a pricing change.
The company has rapidly expanded its order base and revenue, but quick-commerce economics depend heavily on factors such as average order value, delivery cost, dark-store utilisation, product margins, advertising revenue and customer retention.
A higher threshold can potentially improve some of these economics by encouraging larger baskets.
However, the company will need to ensure that customers do not perceive the change as a deterioration in value.
The Bigger Picture
Zepto’s reported move from a ₹149 to a ₹199 minimum order value for free delivery illustrates the changing economics of India’s quick-commerce industry. Platforms that once competed heavily through low thresholds and aggressive convenience are increasingly looking for ways to monetise existing customers and improve the profitability of each order.
Zepto’s scale makes the change particularly significant. With 640.18 million orders in FY2026 and approximately 1.75 million orders per day, even small changes in average basket size or delivery economics can have a meaningful impact on the company’s financial performance.
Looking Ahead
The key question will be whether customers accept ₹199 as the new point at which free delivery becomes worthwhile. If shoppers respond by adding products to their baskets, Zepto could improve average order values without necessarily sacrificing a large amount of order volume. If customers instead reduce order frequency or migrate to competitors, the benefit from the higher threshold could be offset by weaker demand.
For India’s broader quick-commerce market, the shift signals a new phase in which scale alone is no longer enough. As companies move from customer acquisition toward sustainable economics, delivery fees, minimum order values, advertising and basket sizes are likely to become increasingly important parts of the competitive equation.
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