5 smart ways to stretch your dollar with GrabFood

The app’s new features serve up both convenience and value, whether you’re looking to dine in or take out.

Have you noticed that prices are creeping up – and that your wallet is taking a hit? From transport and daily essentials to dining out, the cost of living is steadily rising, leaving both consumers and businesses feeling the pinch.

With food being a significant household expenditure in Singapore, Grab is taking a proactive approach to ease your financial burden without compromising your food cravings. This includes reducing delivery fees and presenting value-for-money dine-in deals, all aimed at making daily life a bit more affordable.

“As an everyday superapp, it’s important that we find ways to create lower-priced services for consumers who want to be more prudent with their spending while still enjoying the convenience of on-demand services,” said Mr Tay Chuen Jein, head of deliveries at Grab Singapore.

Whether you’re gearing up for a night out or opting for a cosy evening at home, here are five ways GrabFood is making sure your budget goes the distance.

#1 SMART MEAL SCHEDULING = SAVVY SAVINGS

Thanks to Grab’s Saver Delivery option, which offers reduced fees in exchange for a slightly extended delivery timeframe, you can unlock savings just by ordering your meals in advance. The best part: You can still savour your meal exactly when you want it because it’s all about smart planning.

Made possible by a process called hyper-batching, the platform leverages artificial intelligence to identify, group and order the sequence of multiple deliveries along overlapping routes, while taking into account real-time factors such as traffic and weather conditions. 

“Our technology allows us to assign orders with similar delivery routes to one delivery partner. This means multiple consumers are sharing the cost of delivery and each gets to pay a little less,” Mr Tay explained. This nifty feature has saved foodies in Singapore over US$7 million (S$9.4 million) in delivery fees in just eight months. 

At the same time, delivery partners can boost earnings by completing more orders with less time and effort, making it a win-win situation for everyone.

#2 THE MORE, THE MERRIER (AND CHEAPER)

As communal gatherings become a regular part of our day-to-day life once more, GrabFood’s updated Group Order feature is a gamechanger, enabling users to enjoy both convenience and cost savings.

Participating in a Group Order is a breeze – simply send an invitation link or scan a QR code and add your orders to a shared cart. Group Order can also be used with Mix-and-Match, a feature that lets consumers order from a variety of merchants located in a similar area. That way, there’s something for everyone in the group.

Even settling the bill afterwards is effortlessly managed through the app’s smart bill calculation feature. It automatically computes each person’s share, ensuring a fair split that includes delivery fee, taxes and tips evenly distributed among all participants. 

According to Mr Tay, Group Order is especially popular for snacks like bubble tea, where meeting a minimum spend often requires pooling several orders. “This function also helps reduce the hassle involved in consolidating orders that allow for customisation, such as adjusting sugar levels and toppings in bubble tea,” he added. 

#3 DINE OUT WITHOUT HAVING TO SPLASH OUT 

In a city bursting with culinary options, it can be hard to decide where to dine. Fortunately, bargain-seekers can now look to GrabFood’s Dine-In feature for inspiration.

This treasure trove of exclusive restaurant perks is designed to help users explore new gastronomic experiences without denting the wallet. With just a few taps, you can browse nearby deals, read restaurant reviews, pre-purchase dine-in vouchers and even book a ride to your chosen restaurant. 

Imagine satisfying your sushi cravings at Maki-San with a generous 30 per cent discount on a cash voucher or indulging in delectable Chinese New Year sets at Soup Restaurant at a 30 per cent discount.

Said Mr Tay: “We work with merchant partners to create value-for-money meals and deals, allowing consumers to save while enjoying a restaurant dining experience. Notably, 35 per cent of dine-in users have either never used GrabFood before or have not done so in the past three months. This shows that we’re reaching a previously underserved group.”

#4 UNLOCK MORE SAVINGS WITH A SUBSCRIPTION PLAN

If GrabFood is a staple in your meal routine, then GrabUnlimited is the perfect choice for the cost-conscious, convenience-loving Singaporean. For a monthly fee of S$5.99, this subscription plan opens the door to exclusive deals spanning across some 1,000 merchants on the app.

Perfect for family dinners or social gatherings, large food orders come with the added perk of up to S$10 off the delivery fee. Beyond the realm of food, GrabUnlimited lets subscribers enjoy 10 per cent off GrabCar Premium. Even your quick grocery runs via GrabMart are more economical, with up to S$3 off delivery fees.

#5 BROWSE THE BEST DEALS UNDER ONE ROOF 

To offer users even more bang for their buck, GrabFood recently unveiled a Meals Under S$7 landing page on the app. Here, you can easily discover GrabFood’s best deals, complete with customisable filters for price points and delivery budgets as well as current promotions to help you make the most of this feature.

“As Grab continues to grow, our focus on affordability aligns with our mission to drive Southeast Asia forward by making our services more accessible for local communities. Through our offerings, we create more value for consumers to use Grab in their everyday lives. We’ll continue to find unique ways to better serve foodies in Singapore in a sustainable manner,” said Mr Tay.

For irresistible food deals, download the Grab app today.