iFood sues Keeta, accusing its Chinese rival of predatory pricing
The lawsuit asks the court to ban below-cost subsidies and the poaching of exclusive restaurants; Keeta says iFood is trying to protect its dominant position.
Translated from the Portuguese original by the Panorama newsroom. Read in Portuguese
Summary written by the Panorama newsroom from the sources listed below. Facts are attributed to the original publications.
iFood has filed a lawsuit against Keeta, a delivery app controlled by China's Meituan, over practices it considers anticompetitive, according to Folha. The company accuses its competitor of predatory pricing funded by its parent company and of luring restaurants that have exclusivity contracts with iFood.
In the suit, iFood claims Keeta offers prices, commissions and incentives below cost to gain market share and eliminate rivals, which would create artificial demand. The company cites Hong Kong, where, it says, Keeta subsidized its operation until Deliveroo exited and then raised restaurant commissions from 15% to about 35%.
The lawsuit also says Keeta assembled a team of former iFood employees to approach exclusive establishments and includes recordings in which a manager at the rival allegedly admitted the strategy and a willingness to help pay fines for breaking contracts. iFood is asking the court to ban these practices and the use of confidential information, as well as for damages, a R$200,000 fine for moral damages and an expert review of the subsidies.
In a statement, Keeta described the lawsuit as a strategy by a monopolistic platform to maintain its dominant position. The company says iFood holds about 80% of the market, that Keeta itself operates in 32 cities and that coupons are a common practice in the sector, used by iFood as well.
Keeta began operating in Brazil in October 2025, in Santos and São Vicente, on the São Paulo coast, and reached the state capital in December of that year.