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If you often order takeaway in the Netherlands, you may have noticed that the price seems fair at first, but extra charges show up at checkout. Now, the two largest food-delivery apps, Thuisbezorgd.nl and Uber Eats, will show all required fees upfront and will give millions of customers a voucher as compensation.
What the watchdog found
This change follows months of checks by the Consumentenbond, the Dutch consumer association, into how both platforms handled orders and prices. They found that required extra costs, like service fees, packaging charges, and small order surcharges, only appeared during or at the end of the order. These hidden fees usually added 2 to 4 euros per order. The association believes customers should see all costs before they start an order, not at the end.
The investigators also found another issue at Thuisbezorgd. Some promotions were advertised as discounts, but the savings did not add up. In some cases, customers paid more than before, so the discounts were not real.
What is changing
After what both companies called “constructive” talks with the Consumentenbond, the two platforms have changed their checkout process to show required charges more clearly and earlier. Thuisbezorgd has also agreed to stop offering misleading discount promotions.
Both companies confirmed the changes in similar ways. Uber Eats said it aims to make its app “as clear and simple as possible” and has changed how it shows extra costs because of the talks. Thuisbezorgd said that after “a good and constructive conversation,” it made its information on service fees and promotions clearer.
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Compensation
In addition to these changes, both platforms have agreed with the Consumentenbond to compensate customers. Millions of current customers will get a discount voucher by email automatically. The value of these vouchers and how the discounts will work have not been announced yet.
Sandra Molenaar, director of the Consumentenbond, said she was glad the talks led to real improvements for consumers and that compensation is coming. The association has been pushing this issue since earlier in the year. They first raised concerns about Thuisbezorgd’s hidden costs and “fake discounts” in the summer and got Uber Eats to make some changes to its charges in June.
Why it matters
This result is a practical win for the many people who use these apps. It is also part of a bigger effort to make prices clearer in the Netherlands, similar to recent attention on airline pricing and other “drip pricing,” where the first price you see is not the final price. For customers, the main point is simple: you should now see the full cost of your delivery order upfront, and if you have used either app, check your inbox for a compensation voucher.