On Demand Delivery Apps Revisited | Lalamove vs Transportify [Updated 2023]

On Demand Delivery Apps Revisited | Lalamove vs Transportify [New 2021]

In an ever-changing logistics landscape, we at Logisticsbid decided to revisit two of the top on demand delivery apps in the Philippines today. We found out that our initial review was deeply helpful to a lot of our readers. It’s been a few years and both Lalamove and Transportify have grown as major players in the market, providing disruption in logistics and innovative solutions to more and more businesses.

We tried to replicate the conditions of our bookings from before but with one major change: We are now in a pandemic. And because of social distancing measures, most of us are working from home and rely heavily on logistics providers to move items around for us. Now let us jump into our booking experience.

APP EXPERIENCE

Driver Acceptance

It was on a Friday afternoon last August (2021). It was also raining pretty hard that day and we were anticipating some delay in our bookings. Below are the booking details.

Vehicle: L300
Date and Time: Friday at 5:30 PM50
Location: From Quezon City to General Trias, Cavite
Distance: 53 Kilometers
Items: Bulky boxes of supplies for donation to community pantries

Given the circumstances caused by the heavy rain, we didn’t expect to get a match immediately. But thankfully we got a Lalamove driver after 5 minutes while it took around 20 minutes for a Transportify driver to accept our booking.

Although we did get a driver faster in Lalamove, we encountered a bit of a hiccup when the driver didn’t arrive. We tried reaching out to the driver directly and to Lalamove’s customer support but didn’t get a response. Eventually, we had to cancel and get another driver 15 minutes later.

On the other hand, it took longer for us to have a driver match in Transportify so we tried reaching out to their customer service as well. During the chat with an agent, we were assured right away that our booking was being monitored and they were looking for a driver for our delivery. After a driver was matched to our booking, we received the driver’s call for confirmation. The driver was polite, courteous, and informed us about his arrival time. And while he was understandably a bit late because of the weather, he was updating us regularly until he arrived.

App Interface

First, let us talk about the Lalamove app. They have a straightforward interface that will immediately ask you the pickup, drop-off, and time of the delivery. You can either book ASAP (as soon as possible) or schedule it at your preferred day and time. The second page has the vehicle selection that has information about the vehicle such as its cargo capacity and weight limit. In our case, we chose the 1000kg FB van. One noticeable quality of Lalamove is that they are generous with coupons because a discount was automatically applied to our booking.

Moving on to our next delivery app, Transportify has a simple user interface. You can choose the vehicle, select the time, and enter the locations in one page. Unlike Lalamove, the app is more organized in feeding information to users. They have an “i” button beside each vehicle if you need more information like size and cargo capacity. We booked an L300 van, and just added “FB-Type Van” in the “Select Services” section since we prefer an FB type vehicle.

Lalamove and Transportify Booking Screen

We did observe some significant differences in both apps. The Lalamove app was more aptly designed for motorcycle deliveries. Before launching 4 wheeled vehicles, it was given that users go to their app to book a motorcycle delivery. It explains why their first page only asks for the destination and time of pickup, which is why they needed to incorporate their 4 wheeled vehicles on the second page of the app.

For Transportify, they started operations in the Philippines with sedans and L300 vans for heavier and bulkier deliveries. This explains why the option for choosing a vehicle is at the first step of the booking process so customers can identify the best vehicle for their logistics needs.

Payment Method

Just like any service app, we wanted to explore the cashless payment option of both Lalamove and Transportify. For the Lalamove app, there is the option to use GCash but the process is quite tedious since users can only top-up from the list of denominations provided. We had to top up several times in the Lalamove app in order to have enough funds to pay for the booking fee.

On the other hand, Transportify has a smoother user experience when it comes to paying the driver using GCash. In this process, there is no need to top-up since the customer can pay the exact amount to the driver from the GCash app. This is very useful to both the driver and customer since the money transfer is validated in real-time.

For both delivery apps, payment via credit or debit card is accepted. In the Lalamove app, users can top up via their credit or debit card but they are restricted to the denominations provided in the app. In the case of Transportify, aside from credit or debit cards, customers can also top-up through bank transfer any amount they wish which provides a more friendly user experience.

SERVICE RATINGS

We checked Facebook and Google Play Store for ratings and reviews on Lalamove and Transportify in order to get an impression of what customers say about these two delivery apps. Here’s what we found:

We read more reviews on Facebook since the volume of followers for both is relatively higher there than Google Play Store. Reviews on Lalamove kept mentioning the same concerns: slow customer support, poor service remarks, and even driver grievances on their prices.

Transportify reviews are more about happy and satisfied customer feedback. Although there were a few bad reviews on wrong pinned locations, driver grievances, and slow driver match, those negative reviews were significantly less compared to the positive ones.

SELECTION OF VEHICLE

Since we will be transporting boxes of grocery items to a community pantry in Cavite, we chose the L300 van from both apps. While doing so, we saw the other vehicle types offered by these on demand delivery apps. We have arranged the vehicles from Lalamove and Transportify below based on cargo space.

One can easily notice that Transportify offers more vehicles than Lalamove, especially when it comes to heavier and bulkier loads. This shows that Transportify is more attuned to carrying out heavy cargo deliveries because of their large trucks such as the 6 wheeler forward truck and 10 wheeler wing van.

For the Lalamove app, their vehicle type starts with a motorcycle. Lalamove has been a go-to app for motorcycle deliveries for quite some time. If you need quick transport for your small items which are less than 20kg in weight, Lalamove motorcycle deliveries are the way to go because it is cheaper and faster. They also have 4 wheeler vehicles but have lesser options for heavier cargo deliveries compared to Transportify.

SERVICE AREAS

We knew that both apps include Mega Manila in their service area, so we were confident that they can deliver our goods from Quezon city to Cavite. We updated ourselves with their expanded service areas since we plan to donate again next time, perhaps outside the metro.

We discovered that Transportify can pick up and deliver to the whole of Luzon, as far as Baguio, Tarlac, Quezon, and even Bicol. Lalamove on the other hand can service the Mega Manila area but can not reach places up north like Tarlac and Baguio.

Both Transportify and Lalamove are also operational in Cebu. Transportify can pick up and deliver to any point in Cebu while Lalamove can only cover Metro Cebu and nearby cities.

ACTUAL BOOKING EXPERIENCE

Driver Service

We were glad that both drivers from Lalamove and Trasportify arrived at the time they confirmed with us. We noticed that the Lalamove driver was not wearing his uniform or ID. It is a good thing that the app has the driver’s information, so we verified his identity. On the other booking, we saw an L300 vehicle that had the Transportify sticker and the driver was wearing his uniform and ID.

We got into a brief conversation with both drivers and their insights are a great addition to this article. The Transportify driver shared that bookings from the delivery app are significantly lesser during this pandemic. But he and other drivers are hopeful for increased demand and delivery opportunities this coming Christmas season.

For the Lalamove driver, he also expressed disappointment over the fewer number of bookings they received in recent months. However, he told us that there are many driver benefits in Lalamove which are very beneficial for him and his family.

Completion of the delivery booking

We called the Lalamove driver to check his ETA, but we were not able to contact him for a good 30 minutes. We then contacted Lalamove’s customer service again to seek assistance but they were unable to provide a resolution. Thankfully, the Lalamove driver called us after a while and informed us that he had a vehicular malfunction. He fixed his car first and expressed his apologies for not updating us right away.

On the other hand, the Transportify driver provided us with a smooth and friendly service from the pick up to the drop-off point. According to our friends in the community pantry, the Transportify driver was proactive in lending them a hand with loading and unloading the items which made the process faster.

In the end, the supplies all reached the community pantry in General Trias, Cavite safe and sound. Lalamove has room for improvement in the customer service aspect. As a customer, we want to feel secure and assured with the service we are getting, so we expected a prompt response. Transportify, on the other hand, can work on their faster driver match.

NEW PRODUCT LAUNCHES

After our booking experience with both on demand delivery apps, let us go over their new launches and service offerings.

Transportify has an interisland trucking service for 10 wheeler vans, 6 wheeler forwards, closed van trucks, and L300 vans. The RORO shipping service can pick up from mainland Luzon and Cebu province and deliver goods to key cities in the Visayas and Mindanao area. This service is especially useful for FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) companies and wholesale businesses needing to deliver goods in bulk across major cities in the country. They also launched on-demand delivery services on the entire island of Cebu.

Lalamove is now very active in other areas of Luzon, especially in Pampanga. Since Pampanga is the business hub in Central Luzon and the gateway to cities in the North such as Tarlac and Baguio, it is a strategic decision to get a strong foothold in this area. Lalamove has motorbikes and sedans to service small and medium size deliveries in Pampanga. For larger and heavier items, their L300 and aluminum vans can service those deliveries.

On top of this expansion in Luzon, Lalamove is also growing its area of coverage in Cebu. Besides being able to deliver in Metro Cebu, they can now reach Danao City in the north and Carcar City down south.

CONCLUSION

All things considered, we believe that Transportify is still the winner in the space of on demand delivery apps. Their diverse fleet of vehicles, wide service area, and professional customer service agents are the reasons why we believe they stay on top. Lalamove, on the other hand, is still an excellent delivery app in the space of small parcel deliveries because of their motorbike vehicles.

If you are interested in exploring the services of Lalamove or Transportify, you may visit their websites here.

Cat Dewinta

Article updated on September 17, 2021

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Cat Dewinta is a well-established Logistics Consultant with a decade of experience in streamlining supply chains. Her proficiency in utilizing modern advancements has significantly enhanced delivery operations and customer satisfaction, solidifying her reputation as a respected industry leader.