SINGAPORE: A GrabFood delivery rider has voiced his frustration after two customers attempted to pay with a card despite choosing the cash payment option when placing their order.
The incident, which took place around 1.05am on 26 September, was recorded on the rider’s headcam and later uploaded as a 4-minute-51-second video on TikTok.
In his caption, the rider questioned why such incidents kept happening, saying customers without cash should inform the rider directly instead of leaving him to deal with Grab support.
He added that it was not his job to chase payment from others.
The clip has since attracted more than 215,000 views on the platform and was also reshared on the Facebook page Truly SG, where it garnered over 285,000 views.
In the video, titled “This is the reason I hate taking cash orders”, the rider is seen delivering food to what appears to be a hotel lobby.
There, he is told by two men that they need to pay by card instead of cash.
“Brother, do I look like an ATM to you or not?” the rider asks.
The customers, appearing apologetic, explain that they had mistakenly selected the wrong payment method.
One of them says that GrabFood’s support had told him a payment link would be sent via email.
The rider, however, replies that they should have informed him before his arrival.
The customer then adds that Grab support had instructed them to “talk to the delivery boy and then you can pay card.”
To this, the rider retorts: “Where do you want me to slot the card? I don’t have a reader.”
Annoyed at the wasted time, he suggests that the customers reorder so that he could return the food to the restaurant.
Later, the rider notices a nearby petrol station, and the group agrees to withdraw cash there.
Upon arriving, however, they realise there is no ATM available, forcing them to continue to another location.
During the exchange, the rider explains that if he hands over the food without receiving payment, the amount would be deducted from his own wallet.
The men then show him their chat with Grab support, which stated: “Once the rider has arrived kindly inform them on this matter and you have reached out to help support and we will send you an email to make payment for this booking.”
When asked, however, they admit they had not yet received any such email.
As the delays continue, the rider questions whether he will be compensated for his time.
“I got one more order,” he says, adding: “You should at least compensate me $5 or something, you’re wasting my time going up and down.”
This sparks a heated exchange, with one customer retorting that it was the rider who was wasting their time.
The disagreement escalates until the rider eventually cancels the order.
The video ends with the two customers walking away as the rider makes several colourful remarks.
@yx4896Why does this always happen to me? If you don’t have cash, speak out to the rider. Why would you want to give me the trouble of approaching GRAB support about this matter? It was a simple transaction. Telling me there’s a mistake in choosing the wrong payment methods. You should sort out a way; it’s not my job to ask money from your ah pa.♬ original sound – Yyxx
Mixed Reactions from Netizens
The video has sparked a mixed response online, with many praising the rider for keeping his composure while others criticised the customers.
One user wrote: “bro handled it damn well i would have thrown hands at them bro.”
Another remarked that riders should not waste time explaining in such situations, suggesting that the moment a customer insists on paying by card despite selecting cash, the rider should simply walk away.
Several netizens took aim at the customers. One remarked: “The audacity when they said ‘you are wasting our time’.”
Another user shared a similar experience: “You aren’t the only one. I even encountered a foreigner with a card that Singapore cannot accept. He totally couldn’t pay, and in the end I had to cancel.”
Others expressed frustration at recurring issues with cash orders, noting that many customers select the cash option despite only having cards.
One commented that such behaviour is common and extremely irritating for both delivery riders and Grab drivers.
Some also explained why they avoid cash transactions altogether.
One user explained that accepting cash payments at night often leads to complications.
The comment added that it is easier to cancel the order on the spot rather than deal with unnecessary trouble.
The rider himself speculated that the customers had attempted to scam him for free food, stressing that such issues should be resolved with Grab before the food is handed over.
Calls to Scrap Cash Payments
On Facebook, some users called on Grab to phase out the cash payment option entirely, arguing that it often causes unnecessary trouble for delivery riders.
One noted: “Many times cash orders give so many issues to the riders.”
The post “Do i look like an ATM?” GrabFood rider’s clash with customers wanting to pay by card despite cash order appeared first on The Online Citizen.
