Swiggy BLCK might sound premium, but it doesn't deliver: you're still hit with ads, priority delivery only works when demand is low, the on-time guarantee coupon is virtually useless, dining perks are mostly unavailable, and the brand deals are trash. I’m not renewing.
(Note: this is an AI augmented article. I used AI to dictate my thoughts and create notes from them. The actual thoughts are mine alone and I personally edited and proof-read the final output before posting.)
1. “Faster” Food Deliveries… Except When You Need It Most
They say you get priority for delivery partners, but here’s what actually happens: priority ordering is only available during non-peak hours. But as soon as the evening rush hits or some rain comes in, BLCK members are lumped in with everyone else. The entire point of priority delivery is to get things when you need it the most, not during standard times.
2. On-Time Guarantee Comes with Too Many Strings
If your order is more than 5 minutes late, they give you a Rs 100 coupon. But of course there's a catch? It’s only valid for 3 days, can’t be used with any other offers, and you need to spend at least Rs 200 to redeem it. So if a restaurant is already giving you Rs 175 off, you have to choose between that or the Rs 100 coupon. Plus, you can't really order anything under 300 bucks, due to packaging charges and tax and platform fee (which originally came in during holi as a festival fee to manage high demand during orders but is now standard) and at that point, you can just use the Rs 120-175 coupon you get anyways.
3. No Cover Charge for Dining Out — So What?
Sure, BLCK waives the cover charge for booking a table, but since that charge just gets adjusted against your bill anyway, it barely matters. Calling this a “premium” perk is a stretch.
4. Dining Perks You Can Barely Use
They advertise free cocktails, desserts, and other exclusive restaurant perks, but I have found only 1-2 places which offer those and those are far away from me. It seems like this exists only on paper.
5. Useless Brand Deals and Discounts
The offers for stuff like YouTube Premium or Spotify? If you are an existing premium user of these services, you get absolutely nothing. As for other “deals,” I mostly get targeted with codes for random brands—like Rs 300 off on a Rs 3000 pair of shoes from some apparel site. You can walk into a store and get that sort of deal without even trying. These aren’t real perks; its just advertising dressed up as premium benefits.
6. Ad Overload, Even After Paying
Even after paying Rs 100 a month for BLCK, I’m still bombarded with ads everywhere. The order screen isn’t clean: the delivery driver icon is literally an ad, there’s an ad glued to the bottom right of the map, and two more ads sit right below the order status text. If that wasn’t enough, I get a random scratch-card pop-up every time I place an order for a brand coupon I’ll never use. The feed and search are full of sponsored restaurants and promoted listings. Why am I paying for a premium experience just to be served more ads? It’s honestly ridiculous and makes the subscription feel even more pointless.
Bottom Line: Too Many Catches, Not Enough Real Value
Swiggy BLCK is just not worth it for me. I’m still forced to see tons of ads, “priority” is just a buzzword, and the so-called perks all have a catch or just don’t apply. Unless Swiggy truly changes what BLCK offers—like giving us genuine priority and real, flexible compensation—it’s just one more marketing gimmick in the app.
For now, I’ll stick to whatever gives me the best deal with clear terms. At least with Zomato Gold and Swiggy One, what you see is what you get.
(Also these food delivery companies are trying to pull an Uber on us now that their VC money is drying up and we can't even see it.)