More than just taxi: how to launch a Super App in 6 weeks

A mobility business can grow in many ways, and smart operators are always looking for the next untapped opportunity to boost revenue. For many taxi and ride-hailing companies, such an opportunity lies close to home — in making better use of the customer base, fleet, and operational systems they already have.

In this article, let's look at how taxi businesses can expand beyond rides, what a Super App model looks like in practice, and how it can be launched in as little as six weeks with the right technology.

What's a Super App and what's in it for you?

Onde’s Super App combines ride-hailing and delivery into one branded platform. Customers use a single app for multiple services, while business owners can generate more orders and make better use of their fleet.

If you've been running a taxi or ride-hailing business for some time, chances are you already have the customers' trust, drivers on the road, and an operations system in place. A Super App can build on that foundation and turn it into a broader service ecosystem.

A switch to the Super App model brings several immediate advantages:

• lower customer acquisition costs, because you’re growing revenue from users you already have;
• higher order volume across multiple services, not just passenger trips;
• stronger user retention, as customers now have more reasons to open your app; 
• better vehicle and driver utilization, especially during off-peak ride hours;
• new revenue streams beyond traditional mobility services.

In other words, a Super App can help a ride-hailing business become more resilient while maximizing the value of existing operations.

How Onde's Super App works

Onde’s Super App combines two systems:   

1. Onde, which powers your ride-hailing operations

2. Playfood, which powers delivery and marketplace services.   

Together, they create one branded ecosystem that supports every side of the business and every type of user. 

The easiest way to understand it is by looking at each group separately.

For customers

For customers, everything happens in one place: a single branded app customized with your company name, logo, and colors.

From the same app, users can:

• book rides
• order food or groceries
• track rides and deliveries in real time
• access promotions and saved addresses

Instead of switching between different services, they stay within the same familiar experience, and naturally feel like coming back to it again and again.

Customers who prefer desktop ordering, or want quick access without downloading an app, can use the option of a web marketplace with the same catalogue and functionality. 

For drivers and couriers

For drivers and couriers, the Super App keeps everything in one mobile app. 

The same driver can accept passenger trips during peak hours and switch to delivery orders when ride demand slows. That means less idle time, better earnings opportunities, and stronger fleet utilization throughout the day.

With Onde’s combined driver and courier app, they can:

• receive ride and delivery assignments
• use built-in route navigation
• track earnings and completed jobs
• manage wallet balance and payouts
• switch between ride, delivery, or combined service modes

For vendors

Restaurants, grocery stores, pharmacies, and other retail partners get their own dedicated tools within your marketplace.

Each vendor has access to a mobile vendor app and web vendor panel, where they can:

• manage menus or product catalogs
• update product availability
• receive and confirm orders
• adjust working hours
• monitor sales and performance

In simple terms, each vendor gets their own workspace inside your delivery marketplace. This means your team doesn’t need to manually update menus, stock availability, or store settings, making it much easier to scale as more partners join.

For your operations team

Behind the scenes, the Super App is managed through two admin environments.

Onde’s My hub handles the ride-hailing side of the business: drivers, ride services, tariffs, fleet settings, analytics, and reporting. This is where you can manage the mobility operation and assign whether drivers can also work as couriers.

Playfood’s admin dashboard manages the delivery marketplace side, with dedicated sections for marketing, vendors, couriers, analytics, customer support, and more. This is where your team runs the marketplace, launches promotions, monitors order flow, and scales the delivery vertical.

How an order moves through the Super App

Let's follow a single order from start to finish to understand how the Super App works in practice.

1. The customer places an order

It all starts in the customer app or web marketplace. The customer browses available restaurants, grocery stores, or retail vendors, selects products, applies any promo codes, and completes the order using their preferred payment method (cash, card, or mobile money).

At this stage, you can also configure multiple fee types to support your delivery unit economics. For example, the marketplace can apply:

• markup fees on vendor orders, where restaurants or stores pay the marketplace under your partnership agreement
• service fees paid by the customer to the marketplace 
• delivery fees
• cash handling or rounding fees

This gives you several ways to structure how the marketplace earns, depending on your region, vendor model, and customer payment habits.

2. The vendor receives and confirms the order

Once the order is placed, it is instantly sent to the vendor’s system. This can be accessed through the vendor mobile app, tablet, web panel, or even a connected printing device. The vendor reviews the order and either confirms it or declines it.

If the kitchen or store is busy, they can also add extra preparation time. The customer is automatically notified of any delay, which helps to keep things transparent and reduces support requests.

At the same time, vendors can update item availability and preparation times directly from their panel.

3. The system assigns a courier

As soon as the order is confirmed, the platform automatically looks for the best available courier. The assignment logic takes into account several factors, such as:

• distance from the vendor
• courier delivery radius
• driver availability
• internal courier performance score

This is where the Onde and Playfood integration really comes to life: the marketplace triggers the order, while the mobility infrastructure handles courier logistics. A shared order code is displayed to both the vendor and the courier to ensure smooth handoff at pickup.

4. The customer can track delivery in real time

Once the courier is on the way, the customer receives a push notification and can track the delivery live on the map. The app shows the courier’s real-time location, estimated arrival time, and contact details. The customer and the courier can call or message each other if needed.

5. The order is completed

After delivery, the courier marks the order as completed with a simple swipe. The customer can then rate both the vendor and the courier, helping maintain service quality across the marketplace.

From launch to steady growth: get started in 6 weeks

So, how quickly can a Super App realistically go live? The short answer: around 6 weeks for a full launch of both ride-hailing and delivery services in parallel. That timeline refers not just to the technical setup, but to the point where the business is fully live and actively operating.

In practice, the launch happens across two parallel tracks.

Track A: Technical setup

This includes preparing and configuring the Onde and Playfood platforms, branding the customer and driver apps, setting up admin environments, and publishing everything for your market.

If the partner is fully prepared and operational requirements are already clear, this phase can be completed in less than a few weeks.

Track B: Business rollout

The operational launch is where the project moves from software setup into real-world operations:

• onboarding drivers and couriers
• recruiting restaurants and stores
• uploading menus and product catalogs
• preparing customer support and dispatch processes
• setting pricing, fees, and service areas

This is usually the part that determines the overall timeline.

Already using Onde? The timeline is shorter

For existing Onde ride-hailing partners who want to add Playfood as a delivery layer, the process is typically faster and can be completed in 3-4 weeks. The exact timeline will always depend on your market readiness and business goals, which is why the best next step is to discuss your current setup with our team.