Food delivery platform Zomato’s going-out arm, District, has launched a new feature called Splitpay aimed at simplifying group dining transactions. The in-app tool allows diners to instantly settle their share of the bill at the table, reducing reliance on one individual to pay upfront and later recover amounts through separate transfers.
Easing Friction
The Splitpay option enables diners to enter the total invoice and divide the cost among group members. Payments can be split equally or customised based on individual consumption. Transactions are processed directly within the District platform, removing the need to exchange bank details, UPI IDs, or share payment confirmations over messaging apps.
Zomato said the feature is designed to reduce friction in group outings and enhance convenience for users. With digital payments already dominant in urban centres, the company expects Splitpay to encourage smoother social experiences and strengthen District’s positioning as a comprehensive going-out ecosystem.
A notable incentive embedded within the feature ensures that every participating diner receives individual cashback on their respective share of the payment. Previously, financial rewards or credit card points accrued solely to the single individual who settled the entire bill at the venue.
It's something we noticed at restaurant tables and in conversations with our users, so we built Splitpay to fix it.— Rahul Ganjo, CEO, District
Operational Challenges
Group dining logistics in urban markets have frequently been cited as a point of friction for both consumers and restaurant operators. The process of calculating shares, managing multiple UPI transactions, and sending payment reminders often delays table turnover times for restaurants during peak operational hours.
"A meal out belongs to the whole table, but it has always ended with the least social moment: one person paying and everyone else doing maths," stated Rahul Ganjoo, Chief Executive Officer, District by Zomato. "It's something we noticed at restaurant tables, on social media, and in conversations with our users, so we built Splitpay to fix it."
The strategic deployment of this feature aligns with broader efforts by tech platforms to capture consumer spend at the point of sale in the dining-out segment. By handling the payment split natively, the platform retains user engagement within its own financial ecosystem rather than letting the final transaction migrate to standalone third-party payment applications.
Feature Awareness
To drive awareness for the new feature, District has initiated a marketing campaign featuring veteran actors Boman Irani and Anupam Kher. The promotional film depicts the traditional Indian cultural practice where dining companions aggressively compete to pay the restaurant bill.
The narrative, which features a comedic physical tussle over the invoice, serves to contrast old dining habits with the structured alternative offered by the new digital tool. The campaign emphasizes that instead of a singular individual bearing the initial financial load, collective settlement is a more orderly and financially rewarding alternative for all attendees.
"It's one more step in the same direction we've been moving all along: taking the effort out of every stage of going out, so the only thing people take home is the experience itself," Ganjoo added, outlining the operational philosophy behind the product development.
Strategic Outlook
Industry analysts note that the integration of localized fintech solutions within lifestyle and dining platforms is becoming a key differentiator in the highly competitive food aggregator and entertainment space. As consumer preferences lean toward friction-free social experiences, platforms that manage to simplify financial transactions at the end of a service are likely to see higher customer retention rates.
For Zomato, reinforcing the capabilities of its District brand is essential as it seeks to consolidate its position in the out-of-home lifestyle market, competing against established entertainment ticketing and dining discovery platforms.
Zomato Ecosystem
District by Zomato operates as a dedicated platform within the Zomato ecosystem, focusing on the "going-out" needs of consumers. The platform aggregates services related to dining out, movie ticketing, live performances, and shopping events. By consolidating discovery, booking, and payment functionalities into a single interface, District aims to capture a larger share of urban consumer discretionary spend in the entertainment and hospitality sectors.
