Foodpanda further aids riders amid fuel price situation

Food and grocery online delivery company Foodpanda ramped up the support for its delivery riders to help buffer expenses caused by inflation rates and skyrocketing fuel prices.

In a statement, the company said that it has been giving additional earning opportunities, fuel discounts and other benefits to its partner riders for several months already.

“Since the onset of fuel price hikes earlier this year, we’ve already started coming up with programs and initiatives to assist our riders. Now that we’re facing an even bigger challenge, we’re ramping up our efforts even more to be of greater help to them,” Foodpanda Philippines Operations Director Patricia Jacinto said.

To help cut down the expenditure allotted on fuel, Foodpanda established tie-ups with Seaoil, Caltex, Phoenix and Unioil to give delivery partners exclusive discounts. Jacinto said that the company is also assisting riders enroll in the national government’s fuel subsidy program.

Further, Foodpanda’s rider partners are given special incentives when they accomplish certain tasks. “We have been heavily investing in incentives they can get from accomplishing particular milestones or ‘quests’,” Jacinto explained.

“We have also recently started offering what we call ‘Bamboo Rewards’. For every successful order they complete, ka-Panda riders get to earn bamboos in-app which they can redeem later for various items like merchandise, electronics, vehicle accessories, vouchers, and more,” she added.

Foodpanda app users can also give “tips” to riders wherein the full amount goes straight to their accounts. “Since the beginning of the year, we’ve done awareness campaigns to inform and encourage our customers to tip their riders, whether through the app or in cash, to support the riders during these tough times especially if they feel the riders have done a good job with their order.”

Meanwhile, Jacinto also guaranteed that the firm is closely monitoring the crisis situation, and is aware of the effects on its partner riders. “We hear their calls for actions loud and clear. In fact, in the past weeks, we have been reaching out and communicating with them to answer their questions,” she said.

“Our teams will continue to be available on-ground in case our rider fleet has any concerns they want to discuss, including those that they might not have mentioned in our regular surveys with them,” Jacinto guaranteed.

Moreover, Jacinto said that Foodpanda will continue to develop more benefits to support their partner riders. “We hope that through these initiatives, our riders can get an additional lifeline as we weather these challenges together,” she mentioned.

Aside from the support related to the rising fuel prices, Foodpanda is also providing insurance through its insuretech partner Igloo, healthcare benefits via Philhealth and telemedicine services under KonsultaMD.

Photos from Foodpanda

Also read:

Foodpanda, Agribank to offer partner riders affordable motorcycle financing

Foodpanda now delivers in Valenzuela City