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To check an Indian food-delivery bill, do not work backward from the final total. Open the order’s itemized invoice or tax details, record every charge and discount, then match each GST amount to the service and taxable value printed beside it. Restaurant service is generally listed at 5% without input-tax credit, while official 2025 guidance treats platform services and local delivery as 18% categories; those rates do not by themselves prove that a particular line is correct.
Start with the itemized invoice, not the checkout total
The amount shown on the payment screen is usually a combination of the food or restaurant-service value, delivery, platform or convenience fees, packaging or restaurant charges, discounts, and one or more GST lines. A single percentage applied to the grand total cannot tell you whether the bill is right, because different supplies can have different tax treatments and taxable bases.
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Open the completed order in the delivery app and look for labels such as Invoice, Tax invoice, Bill details, View receipt, or Tax details. Exact wording and menu locations vary by app, restaurant, order location, and date. Save the downloadable invoice or PDF if one is available; the checkout summary can change or disappear after a refund.
Your objective is a line-by-line reconciliation:
- Identify the food or restaurant-service value.
- List delivery, platform, packaging, restaurant, service, and any other fee lines separately.
- Record each discount and the line to which the invoice applies it.
- Record every CGST, SGST/UTGST, IGST, or combined GST amount and the taxable value printed with it.
- Reconcile the additions and deductions to the amount actually paid.
What the main bill lines mean
Food or restaurant service
The food portion of an order is normally presented as restaurant service rather than as a list of separately taxed grocery products. CBIC’s current rate schedule lists restaurant service other than at specified premises at 2.5% CGST plus 2.5% SGST or UTGST, a combined 5% rate without input tax credit. The Ministry of Finance confirmed in a 2025 parliamentary answer that this 5% treatment applies whether the restaurant supplies the service directly or through an electronic-commerce operator (ECO).
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That description is a category rule, not a promise that every amount in an app’s order summary is restaurant service. Read the invoice description and taxable value before applying the rate.
Platform or convenience service
Food-delivery apps can supply services to customers or merchants in addition to arranging the restaurant order. The Ministry of Finance’s April 2025 answer says other services supplied by food-delivery apps, including platform services, are taxed at 18%. A customer-facing line called “platform fee” is evidence of the label used by that app, not conclusive proof of the legal supply or its tax base. The invoice should identify what was supplied and the amount on which GST was calculated.
Local delivery
A Ministry of Finance FAQ issued through the Press Information Bureau on 16 September 2025 states: “The services of local delivery are taxable at 18%.” It also explains the liability mechanism: when local delivery is supplied through an ECO by a person who is not liable to register under section 22(1), the ECO is liable under section 9(5); when the supplier is registered, that supplier pays the tax. This is guidance about local-delivery services and tax liability. It does not establish that every app uses the same delivery label, combines delivery with another supply, or displays the same taxable base.
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Do not call a restaurant service charge a government tax. The CBIC FAQ says a service charge is not a statutory government levy. It also says GST applies to the service charge as consideration for a supply. Therefore, a service-charge line can increase the taxable amount and can have GST associated with it, but the charge itself is not the GST imposed by the government.
Packaging, handling, small-order and other fees
Apps and restaurants may use different names for packaging, handling, small-order, surge, or other charges. The name alone does not establish the GST rate. Treat each as a separate line until the invoice states the service description, taxable value, and tax. If a fee is bundled into another description, ask for an itemized tax invoice rather than guessing which rate applies.
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Official rate and liability guide
| Bill category | Official guidance | What to verify on your invoice |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant service other than at specified premises | 2.5% CGST plus 2.5% SGST/UTGST, or 5% combined, without input tax credit (CBIC rate schedule, accessed 13 October 2026) | Restaurant-service description, state or Union Territory tax split, taxable value, and whether the invoice identifies the supplier correctly |
| Restaurant service supplied through an ECO | The Ministry of Finance’s 2025 parliamentary answer says the 5% without-input-tax-credit rate applies to direct and ECO-supplied restaurant service | Whether the line is restaurant service rather than a separate app service; the invoice’s stated supplier and tax amounts |
| Other platform services supplied by a food-delivery app | 18% according to the Ministry of Finance’s April 2025 answer | The precise service description and the taxable value to which the 18% amount is attached |
| Local delivery | 18% according to the Ministry of Finance/PIB FAQ dated 16 September 2025 | Whether the line is local delivery, who is shown as supplier, and any note about ECO or section 9(5) liability |
| Restaurant service charge | Not a statutory government levy; CBIC says GST applies to it as consideration for a supply | Whether it is separately shown and whether the invoice includes it in a stated taxable value |
These are policy categories, not a universal template for every app bill. A rate can look familiar while the taxable value, description, supplier status, discount treatment, or place-of-supply details are wrong or unclear.
Step-by-step: audit one order
1. Capture the order summary
- Open the order history and select the relevant order.
- Expand the full price breakdown instead of relying on the short “paid” line.
- Take note of the restaurant name, order date, delivery location, order number, and payment amount. These details help support staff locate the correct invoice.
2. Find and download the tax invoice
- Use the order page’s invoice, receipt, or tax-details control.
- If more than one document is offered, save the restaurant invoice and any separate app or delivery invoice.
- Check whether the document identifies the supplier, GSTIN where applicable, invoice number and date, place of supply, and tax type. Labels differ, so absence of a particular screen label is not by itself proof that no invoice exists.
3. Make a line inventory
Write the figures in a small worksheet or spreadsheet. Use one row for each distinct line, preserving the wording from the invoice:
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| Column | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Description | Exact invoice wording, such as restaurant service, delivery, platform service, packaging, or service charge |
| Pre-tax value | The taxable value printed for that line or tax group |
| Discount | Discount amount and any reference to the affected item or service |
| GST type | CGST/SGST, CGST/UTGST, IGST, or another tax label shown |
| GST rate and amount | The rate and rupee amount printed on the invoice |
| Supplier | Restaurant, app, delivery provider, or the entity named on the invoice |
4. Match each tax amount to a taxable base
For each GST line, identify the exact amount beside it. If the invoice gives a combined taxable value for several services, determine which descriptions are included before checking the arithmetic. A simple arithmetic check is:
GST amount = stated taxable value × stated GST rate
Use the values printed on the invoice and allow for normal rounding. Do not substitute the food subtotal for a different taxable value merely because the number is easier to calculate. If the invoice does not show the base, request an itemized tax invoice.
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5. Check the state-tax split
For an intra-state supply, the invoice may split GST into CGST and SGST, or CGST and UTGST. For an inter-state supply, it may show IGST. The split and the place-of-supply information should be internally consistent. A delivery address, restaurant location, and invoice supplier can matter to that determination; a customer should not infer the tax type solely from the app’s branding.
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Add the food or service values, taxable fees, and GST; subtract the discounts and credits exactly as the invoice displays them. Compare the result with the paid amount, including any wallet balance, coupon contribution, tip, or payment adjustment shown separately. A mismatch may be a refund, a payment-method adjustment, or an omitted invoice line rather than a GST error, so trace each difference to a printed entry.
How to assess discounts and taxable values
Discounts are a frequent reason a checkout total differs from a quick percentage calculation. The invoice may apply a restaurant-funded discount to the food value, an app-funded promotion as a separate credit, or a coupon after tax. Those treatments are not interchangeable. Read the invoice’s “taxable value,” “discount,” and “net value” fields and follow the document’s allocation.
Do not assume that every promotion reduces GST, and do not assume that none does. The official material cited here does not provide one formula for all coupons, fees, restaurants, and app promotions. If the invoice shows a discount but no explanation of which supply it affects, ask the issuer to state the pre-discount value, discount allocation, and resulting taxable value.
Why the total can be higher than the food subtotal
- Separate services: Delivery and platform services can be different supplies from restaurant service, so their tax lines need not use the restaurant-service rate.
- Non-tax charges: A service charge or another fee may be added before tax; it is not automatically a government levy.
- Tax on fees: GST can apply to a fee when that fee is consideration for a taxable supply.
- Rounding: Tax may be rounded at line or invoice level.
- Discount placement: A promotion may be allocated to one line or applied after a tax calculation.
- Tips and adjustments: A tip, wallet redemption, refund, cancellation charge, or payment correction can sit outside the GST calculation.
The presence of an extra line is not evidence of overcharging. The useful question is whether the invoice describes the supply, shows its taxable value and tax, and reconciles to the amount paid.
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What a proper tax invoice should let you verify
The cited CGST Act provision requires a tax invoice to show the description, quantity and value of goods or services, the tax charged, and prescribed particulars. For a food-delivery order, look for enough information to connect each tax amount to a supplier and taxable value. Depending on the document, relevant particulars can include the supplier’s identity and GSTIN, invoice number and date, place of supply, tax rate, tax amount, and whether CGST/SGST or IGST applies.
An order summary designed for payment may omit fields that appear on the downloadable invoice. Compare like with like: use the tax invoice to verify tax and the payment receipt to verify how money moved. If two documents show different descriptions or totals, retain both and ask which document is the tax invoice for each supply.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When a charge or GST line looks wrong
The rate is different from the category you expected
First confirm the service description and taxable base. A restaurant-service line, local-delivery line, and platform-service line are not interchangeable categories. Check whether the invoice combines supplies, whether the restaurant is at a specified premises, and whether the line is actually a service charge or another fee. If the description remains vague, request clarification rather than asserting that the rate is unlawful.
The app shows GST but no taxable value
Ask for the itemized tax invoice showing the taxable value and tax charged. A grand-total receipt is insufficient for a reliable line-by-line check. Include the order number, date, restaurant, delivery location, and a screenshot of the breakdown, while masking payment credentials.
The invoice and checkout screen disagree
Check for a later refund, coupon reversal, tip, wallet credit, or payment adjustment. Compare timestamps and document numbers. If the paid amount still cannot be reconciled, ask the app whether there are separate restaurant and platform invoices and which entity collected each amount.
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The invoice names a different supplier
Different supplies can have different suppliers. The restaurant may issue the restaurant-service invoice while the app or delivery provider issues a platform or delivery invoice. Ask support to identify the supplier, GSTIN where applicable, and tax responsibility for each line. The September 2025 local-delivery FAQ’s ECO and section 9(5) explanation concerns who pays tax; it does not remove the need for a clear customer-facing invoice.
You believe a service charge is a government tax
Separate the two concepts in your complaint. State that you are asking about a restaurant service charge, which CBIC describes as non-statutory, and about GST charged on consideration for a supply. Request the contractual or invoice description of the service charge and the tax calculation rather than asking for “the government service-charge rate.”
How to ask for clarification
Use a precise written request so the response addresses the calculation:
- Quote the order number, date, restaurant, and delivery location.
- List the disputed line exactly as it appears.
- Ask what service the line represents, who supplied it, and what taxable value was used.
- Ask for the applicable GST rate, tax amount, and whether CGST/SGST, CGST/UTGST, or IGST applies.
- Request the complete tax invoice if the current document does not show those fields.
- Ask for a corrected invoice or refund if the issuer confirms an arithmetic or billing error.
Keep the invoice, order summary, payment confirmation, support ticket, and final response together. Do not post a full invoice publicly without removing addresses, phone numbers, GSTINs when privacy is a concern, payment identifiers, and order codes.
Practical checklist before you close the ticket
- Every fee has a readable description.
- Every GST amount is attached to a stated taxable value.
- The rate is assessed against the service category, not the grand total.
- Restaurant service is distinguished from platform and local-delivery services.
- A service charge is not described as a government tax.
- Discount allocation is visible or has been explained by the issuer.
- Supplier identity and the relevant invoice are clear for each separate supply.
- The mathematical total matches the amount paid after credits, refunds, tips, and adjustments.
- You have saved the invoice and supporting order records.
Limits of what a rate check can prove
Official rates do not, by themselves, establish that a particular customer bill is correct. Correctness also depends on the precise service supplied, the invoice’s taxable base, discount treatment, restaurant status, supplier registration, place of supply, and the way the app describes or bundles fees. The official sources do not prescribe one consumer-facing invoice layout for every platform.
The rates and liability explanations above reflect CBIC material and Ministry of Finance/PIB material accessed 13 October 2026. GST notifications, FAQs, and app billing practices can change. For a later order, check the invoice date and current official guidance rather than relying on an old screenshot or a social-media explanation.
Bottom line
A reliable bill check is an invoice audit: list each supply, identify its taxable value, attach the printed GST amount, verify the category and supplier, then reconcile discounts and payment adjustments. The 5% restaurant-service rule, 18% platform-service guidance, and 18% local-delivery guidance are useful reference points, but only the itemized invoice can show how those rules were applied to your order.
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