‘Someone, Please Explain The Maths!’: Zepto’s Billing Blunder, Reddit Reacts

A Reddit user has called out Zepto, the popular quick-commerce platform, over its seemingly perplexing billing system. In a post that quickly went viral, the user shared a screenshot of the Zepto checkout page and humorously captioned it, “I am too stupid to understand Zepto’s maths, someone smart enough please help.” The post garnered significant attention from users, many of whom tried to make sense of the confusing breakdown.

Discrepancies in Bill Calculations

The bill in question involved two products: two 1-liter packs of Amul Taaza Toned Fresh Milk priced at ₹112 and an Ambrane Type C to Type C Cable, originally priced at ₹499 but discounted to ₹19. The app initially listed the item total and GST as ₹611.31, which dropped to ₹231.31 after discounts. Despite these reductions, additional charges such as a Promo Voucher (Free Cash) deduction of ₹100 and a handling charge of ₹11.99 were applied, lowering the total bill to ₹145.29.

Zepto claimed the user had saved ₹554.01 on the order, but Reddit users quickly pointed out discrepancies. The main issue was that the savings seemed inflated, considering the final bill was much lower than the original item price. Users also noted the confusion around the handling charge, which was added instead of being deducted, as it was suggested in the breakdown.

Someone please help me understand this calculation
byu/kanavagg indelhi

Reactions and Jokes on Reddit

The Reddit community did not hold back in mocking the app’s billing confusion. One user commented, “They just try to advocate the fact that they are doing a lot for their customers, whereas they aren’t doing anything.” Others quipped, “Next step will be to introduce sunlight fees in summer” and “Surprised they didn’t add oxygen fees, refrigeration fees, or CEO’s foreign trip fees.”

Some users also noted the humor behind the ‘rain fee,’ with one saying, “Rain fee is hilarious. By the way, quick commerce is only relying on making the buyer feel like they stole a deal, which is about time the myth gets busted.”

Zepto Faces Additional Criticism Over Price Discrepancies for iPhone and Android Users

The confusion didn’t end with the billing system. Earlier this week, a separate incident brought to light how Zepto allegedly uses different pricing strategies for iPhone and Android users. Instagram user Pooja Chhabda conducted an experiment where she compared prices for the same product on both devices. The results were shocking: the price of 500 grams of grapes on an Android phone was ₹65, but the same quantity was priced at ₹146 on an iPhone—more than double the amount.

Zepto’s Response and Customer Trust Issues

As Zepto faces mounting criticism for its pricing practices and confusing billing breakdowns, users are questioning the platform’s transparency and trustworthiness. With so many discrepancies and criticisms, it remains to be seen how the company will address these concerns to retain customer loyalty in the competitive quick-commerce market.