A quiet shift is underway in India’s quick commerce and food delivery space, with platforms moving to gain tighter control over how customers complete payments.
Zepto has rolled out an in-app UPI payments feature, allowing users to complete transactions without being redirected to third-party apps such as Google Pay or PhonePe. The feature has been live for around 6 months, according to a business publication, though the company has not made a formal public announcement.
With this update, Zepto joins a growing list of delivery platforms that are internalising payments to simplify checkout flows and reduce dependence on external UPI providers. The company did not respond to queries about the technical structure of the offering at the time of publishing.
The move reflects a broader industry trend. Major food delivery platforms have also introduced in-app UPI solutions over the past year, signalling a strategic push to improve transaction success rates and speed.
Swiggy recently launched Swiggy UPI using the National Payments Corporation of India plug-in framework. The setup allows users to pay entirely within the app after a one-time configuration. Swiggy has said this approach cuts checkout time and lowers payment failures by removing the need to switch between apps.
Zomato, meanwhile, introduced its own UPI service in partnership with ICICI Bank. This lets users create a Zomato-linked UPI ID and make real-time payments directly in the app. Unlike Swiggy’s plug-in model, Zomato’s setup is closer to issuing a full UPI handle through a banking partner.
Industry executives say payments have become a critical control point for platforms operating at scale. Even small gains in checkout speed or transaction reliability can significantly improve order completion, especially during peak demand.
Bringing UPI payments in-house also gives platforms better visibility into transaction flows and reduces reliance on third-party apps they do not control. This is particularly important for high-frequency businesses such as food delivery and quick commerce.
For Zepto, which is rapidly expanding its dark store network and order volumes, refining the payments experience fits into its wider focus on speed and reliability. The rollout highlights how payments are no longer just a background utility, but an increasingly strategic layer as competition in India’s delivery market intensifies.
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