Zomato Gold members will have to pay ‘extra’ for delivery on these days

Zomato has announced a change to its Gold membership benefits, revealing that subscribers will no longer be exempt from surge fees on certain days. Starting May 16 (Friday), Gold members will be required to pay surge fees during rainy weather. However, the company has not clarified the exact amount of these charges.The update has been communicated to users via an in-app notification, which read: “Starting May 16, surge fee waiver during rains will not be part of your Gold benefits.” As per the notification, the additional fee will help the company provide better compensation to its delivery partners during adverse weather conditions.This adjustment comes just a week after Zomato paused its 50:50 refund-sharing policy with partner restaurants, another move that drew attention across the food delivery and restaurant industry.The rain surge fee had previously been waived for Gold members, making the change a likely point of frustration for some subscribers. Zomato has not announced any compensatory benefits or adjustments to Gold membership pricing at this time.Meanwhile, rival Swiggy also charges similar surge fees during rainy weather, even for its subscription members, suggesting this could become a standard practice across platforms.Previously, Zomato Gold offered benefits such as free delivery from nearby partner restaurants and rain fee waivers. While free delivery within 7km and up to 30% dining discounts will still be available, the new surge fees during rainy weather could make frequent orders more expensive.Zomato Gold still offers unlimited free deliveries from select partner outlets, though a few, like Domino’s and others with their own logistics, are excluded. These partner restaurants are marked with a “Free Delivery” tag to help users identify them. It’s also worth noting that Zomato already charges a fee during the festive season, a move the company has acknowledged, explaining that the fee helps cover operational costs and has slightly increased to maintain services during that period.