Quick Commerce Margins and Fees: How to Work Out What a Brand Actually Earns
Quick commerce can grow a brand's sales quickly, but many brands only discover their real margin months later, when deductions show up in settlements. The platforms don't publish standard rates, so the only way to know is to list every cost and calculate your profit per unit, platform by platform.
Where the money goes
Zepto's FY26 filings show the kinds of charges platforms earn from brands beyond the sale itself: ₹2,779.84 crore for warehousing, packaging and last-mile services, ₹1,635.73 crore from advertising and ₹564.17 crore in platform (marketplace) fees (Inc42). Expect some combination of these costs:
| Cost | What it is |
|---|---|
| Platform margin or commission | The difference between the platform's selling price and what it pays you (inventory model), or a commission on sales (marketplace model) |
| Service fees | Warehousing, packaging, handling and last-mile fees, where charged |
| Marketing contribution | Funding for discounts, offers or visibility, sometimes written into the terms |
| Advertising | Sponsored listings, banners and packages. See our quick commerce ads guide |
| Inbound logistics | Your cost to deliver to each platform warehouse, city by city |
| Rejections, damages and expiry | Units rejected at the warehouse or written off later. See our shelf-life guide |
| Payment terms | The working capital tied up between delivery and payment |
| GST | On your sales, and on fees and ads charged to you; check which input credits you can claim |
A worked example
Round illustrative numbers for one product, not platform rates. Replace them with your own terms.
| Per unit (excluding GST) | ₹ |
|---|---|
| Price you receive from the platform | 100 |
| Less: cost of goods | −45 |
| Less: inbound freight to platform warehouses | −4 |
| Less: fees and marketing contribution charged to you | −8 |
| Less: rejections, damages and expiry (spread per unit) | −3 |
| Contribution before ads | 40 |
| Less: ad spend per unit sold | −15 |
| Contribution after ads | 25 |
Here, ad spend takes more than a third of the contribution. At ₹40 contribution before ads, any campaign spending more than ₹40 per extra unit sold loses money. Track this by city, because freight, rejections and ad costs vary.
For the marketplace equivalent, see our guide to profit per unit on Amazon India.
What to get in writing
- The margin or commission for each category, and whether it's on MRP or selling price.
- Every fee that can be deducted, and when.
- Any marketing contribution or minimum ad commitment.
- Payment terms: days from delivery to payment, and how short or rejected deliveries are treated.
- Shelf-life and rejection rules at the warehouse.
- Who pays for returns, damages and expired stock.
- How price changes and promotions are agreed.
Frequently asked questions
What margin do Blinkit, Zepto and Instamart take?+
They don't publish standard rates. Margins and fees are negotiated by category and model. Get every cost in writing and calculate your profit per unit for each platform.
What fees do quick commerce platforms charge brands?+
Depending on the model and terms: platform margin or commission, warehousing, packaging and last-mile fees, marketing contributions and advertising. Zepto's FY26 filings show significant revenue from each of these.
How do I calculate profit per unit on quick commerce?+
Start with the price you receive, then subtract cost of goods, inbound freight, fees and marketing contributions, rejections and expiry, and ad spend per unit.
Is quick commerce more profitable than Amazon for brands?+
It depends on your category, terms and ad spend. Calculate profit per unit on each channel with your actual costs before shifting budget.
Sources
- Inc42: Can Zepto's revenue engine outrun quick commerce costs? — 14 Aug 2026; FY26 revenue by stream
We manage purchase orders, dark-store operations and ads on quick-commerce apps for brands, so you grow without losing margin.