8 Must-Have Features for a Competitive Food Delivery App in 2025

Customers in this age seek convenience and instant gratification. Many forward-thinking businesses have obliged. They have created applications that enable on-demand access to products and services. A popular category among these applications is food delivery. Food delivery apps allow customers to get the meal of their choice within a few minutes of placing an order. Today, many customers are willing to spend a little extra to save time that would have been spent commuting to a restaurant. For such users, these solutions are highly valuable.

The online food delivery market is seeing rapid growth. For businesses that aim to establish themselves in the B2C tech industry, this can be a great opportunity. However, the food delivery market is also highly competitive. Many food delivery app development companies have already made it big in this space. New players also emerge every now and then. To thrive in this space, businesses require solutions that help them stand out. Their apps should offer tremendous value to the end-user. These apps should also create immaculate experiences at every step of users’ ordering journey. So, how is this possible? Which features should a food delivery app have to ensure high engagement and retention? Let’s find out.

Essential Features of a Food Delivery App

1) Search Filters

When ordering a meal, customers don’t want to spend a lot of time going through different options. Smart filters help them find the right restaurant and meal and place an order instantly.

Most popular food delivery apps provide search filters for cuisine, food type, location, distance, delivery time, ratings, and dietary preferences. This way, every user has a wide range of options to choose from. Search filters help food apps meet the diversified needs of their user base. As a result, these users don’t have to explore other apps to get a scrumptious meal.

2) Real-Time Order Tracking

When ordering a meal, users want their orders to be delivered fast. Allowing them to track the location of their orders in real-time creates a great experience for them. GPS-enabled tracking informs a customer when their order is being prepared, when it is out for delivery, and when it will reach them. Plus, if there is some delay in delivery, the customer receives a notification. Likewise, delivery agents use GPS to get the precise location of the customers to deliver food. GPS tracking thus improves interaction between the stakeholders, leading to higher customer satisfaction.

3) Multiple Payment Options

Payments are an important aspect of any online app. Customers may abandon an order if they experience any hassle while making payments. Food delivery apps, therefore, need to make this step as smooth as possible. The payment process needs to be straightforward. Users should have the option to pay using any method they find convenient. These can be mobile wallets, debit or credit cards, or online banking. Also, many users don’t feel safe making digital payments. For such individuals, the option to pay through cash should be available. If the app offers promo codes, users should be able to apply them on the checkout page itself.

4) Reviews and Ratings

Gathering customer feedback is vital for any food delivery app. It will help them understand which aspects of their app are working fine and which ones require improvement. This can be achieved by integrating a reviews and ratings feature with the app.

Users should have the option to leave a review after they have received an order from a restaurant. These reviews serve as a guide for other users. This is because feedback makes it easier for them to decide which eatery or meal they should choose when ordering a meal. Reviews also push restaurant owners to maintain food quality and deliver top-notch service. This improves their accountability, leading to a better experience for app users.

5) In-App Chat

Many times, customers face issues while using an app. They may not be able to find what they are looking for. Or the app may experience a glitch. In these situations, they feel the need to get in touch with the support team. To help users quickly resolve any such issues, food delivery application development companies provide live chat support within the app.

The live chat function creates a hassle-free experience for users. They don’t need to call an agent or mail the company and wait for them to reply. Instead, they get instant responses to their queries.

6) Favorite List

Many users like to order certain food items frequently. So, let’s say a user ordered pasta from a nearby restaurant and enjoyed it a lot. If they want to order the same pasta dish again after a few days, they will have to search for the eatery they ordered it from. But for that to happen, one needs to remember its name.

To avoid such a scenario, food apps provide a feature called ‘favorite list’. Users can go through their past orders and mark certain food items and restaurants as favorites. When they browse the app the next time, these food items will appear at the top of their feed. Such a feature simplifies the user journey and incentivizes repeat purchases.

7) Push Notifications

Online users may have more than one food delivery app on their phones. To stand out, food delivery apps need to stay in consistently touch with their customers. Push notifications help them achieve this. Using push notifications, businesses can inform their customers about ongoing deals. This persuades customers to order more frequently than they normally do. Also, many apps use these notifications to boost awareness of the loyalty programs they may be running.

8) Social Media Integration

Some food delivery apps allow users to sign up and log in using their social media accounts. This is made possible by integrating the app with social media platforms. Social media integration allows users to share photos and videos of their favorite food with people within their network. This helps spread positive word of mouth. It also drives more people to the app who may be tempted to download and use it.

Wrapping Up

To make sure they succeed in the food delivery space, businesses need to develop applications with the appropriate set of features. Features such as real-time tracking, in-app chat, and push notifications help improve sales. They also help create a loyal user base. However, not all businesses are familiar with this domain. To ease their journey, they may consider partnering with a food delivery mobile app development company. Such a collaboration will help them navigate challenges effectively and carve a niche in a space full of possibilities.