In the delivery war, the fight goes beyond restaurants and clients. After announcing billionaire investments in Brazil, market leader iFood and the Chinese companies 99Food and Keeta, respectively owned by Didi and Meituan, are embroiled in court battles and have even involved the police.

In Santos, the Civil Police has opened an inquiry after Keeta, the international branch of the world’s largest delivery company, denounced attempts of corporate espionage in partner restaurants.

The company began its operations in the town in late October and claims to have identified individuals posing as employees, using fake ID cards, and attempting to access sensitive information, including commission rates, payment methods, client preferences, and training schedules.

Security cameras registered the episode and is not a central part of the investigation. According to Keeta, at least eight establishments were targeted.

The delivery war happens in one of the most promising markets in the country. According to Statista, the sector is expected to generate US$21 billion in 2025 and reach US$27 billion by 2029.

iFood boasts 55 million users and processes 120 million orders per month. To stay at the top, it has announced an investment of R$17 billion in the next few years.

On the other side, Meituan promises R$ 5.6 billion to expand Keeta in Brazil.

99, after having returned to the Brazilian delivery market, has also announced billionaire investments, aggressive campaigns, and tax exemptions to attract restaurants and users.

Stolen data and missing notebooks

99Food, owned by Didi, has opened an internal investigation to evaluate the theft of corporate notebooks with confidential information. The devices belonged to strategic employees, with access to expansion chronograms, deals with restaurant chains, and pricing modules.

The case is reminiscent of reports filed by iFood to the São Paulo police department. The company states that employees were contacted through LinkedIn for paid meetings with alleged Asian consultants.

In one such meeting, according to the inquiry, the speaker asked detailed questions about sales, logistics, and competition – including the arrival of 99Food and Meituan in Brazil.

A former iFood employee was even targeted by a search and seizure warrant. According to the police, he would have transferred data to over 4.000 restaurants in his personal devices. Screenshots and voice messages obtained from group chats reinforce the suspicion that financial payments incentivized the leak.

Exclusivity, sabotage, and restaurant erasure

The legal fight between Keeta and 99Food began with a recurring topic in the sector: restaurant exclusivity.

In October, São Paulo courts forbade 99Food from adding contractual clauses that stopped partner networks from operating with Keeta. Meituan accuses its rival of using contracts with millionaire bonuses (up to R$900 million upfront, according to the petition) to block its entrance into the market.

More recently, restaurants that requested the end of their exclusivity with iFood reported an abrupt drop in sales. They allege that they were “erased” from the app or lost search relevancy. iFood denies any irregularity.

Bag wars

Not even courier bags are left out. In the last few months, these apps have started to compete for street space through their famous bags, which serve as walking advertisements.

According to couriers, iFood teams would offer coupons and gifts to whoever dropped off competition bags. The app also inserted in the order evaluation field a question about which bag the courier was wearing.

Meanwhile, 99 is investing in influencer events and incentive packages (such as an additional R$ 250 every 20 deliveries). Keeta bets in innovation: it has announced the distribution of smart helmets for couriers in Santos.