Ordering food online in Malaysia is by no means a new method of getting food delivered to your doorstep. There has been a steady increase in this activity over the past few years ever since the widespread adoption of broadband internet and mobile devices.

Here are a few tips when ordering food online in Malaysia.

SEE ALSO: 3 Ways to Order Food Online in Malaysia

1. Use dedicated apps from restaurants or delivery networks

Using smartphone apps has made our lives easier and more convenient than ever. With a few touches and swipes you can order food from your smartphones or tablet computers within minutes. While there isn’t a lot of restaurants with apps, there are a few. For example, the online food delivery network Foodpanda has an app, and the pizza delivery service Dominos has an app.  Both of the companies have apps for iOS and Android mobile operating systems.

The Foodpanda app allows you to place orders and select foods from a wide selection of restaurants and cafes throughout most of the Klang Valley and select parts of Malaysia. The app’s main menu quickly determines your location and selects the available restaurants near your location for delivery. The next section is a menu selection along with information of the particular restaurant, such as estimated delivery times, minimum order requirements. While it is true that these actions can be performed through their website, using their app will allow you to directly access restaurants relevant to you and order food through a few taps.

The same goes for Dominos app. You can use their Malaysian app to quickly order pizzas as well as use their GPS pizza tracking service to determine the location of their orders among other things.

The mobile apps typically work more efficiently than the website counterparts. Nevertheless, due to the small number of available food apps in the Malaysian market, you should not ignore the websites.  A simple google search will help you find out if you can order food online from a restaurant.

2. Prepare the right amount of cash

Another tip when ordering food online is to prepare exact (or nearly exact) cash payment.  The reason is that it’s not uncommon for the deliveryman to arrive without change (whether this is intentional or accidental, we’ll leave you to judge).  Hopefully, more restaurant services will start accepting credit card. For now, a lot of food delivery services in Malaysia still require you to pay cash on delivery. So make sure you have enough cash on hand and try to prepare the right amount.

3. Avoid peak hours and order directly to ensure quicker deliveries

This should be a no brainer: avoid ordering food during peaks hours. If you order food online during peak hours, you’ll likely wait longer for delivery as opposed to those who order food during off-peak hours.  Remember traffic can get really bad in the urban areas during rush hour.  If you order during peak hours, you’ll not only have to typically wait longer, but your food may not taste as fresh.

However, as an incentive, some food delivery services such as Room Service will waive their delivery service charge if the customer receives their delivery past the estimated delivery timeframe. As a general rule of thumb, food delivery services are busiest during lunch at around 12-2PM and dinner at around 6:30-8:30PM.

Additionally, you should note that online food delivery networks, such as Foodpanda and Room Service, typically require more time than ordering directly from a restaurants, like Nandos or Papa Johns.  Remember a food delivery network serves as an intermediary between you and the restaurant, so they do need to handle some logistics, which takes time. Therefore, if delivery speed is your priority, you should consider ordering from restaurants that offer direct delivery services.

4. Check out the online exclusive food deals

Another reason to consider ordering food online is for the deals. Some restaurants offer special promotions exclusively for those who order online. In addition to looking for discounts on the actual restaurant and food network websites, you should checkout some of the group buying websites in Malaysia to see if any deals are being offered at the time.

Do you have any tips for ordering food online? Post a thought in the comments below.

See Also:

• 5 Online Grocery Stores in Malaysia
• Great Tips for Ordering Groceries Online in Malaysia
• Foodpanda Review: An Online Food Delivery Network in Malaysia
• 3 Ways to Order Food Online in Malaysia

Photo credit: Steve Snodgrass / Foter / CC BY