Pause, Swap, Cancel: How Flexible Should a Meal Plan Be?

On Qavaeat you can pause or swap any scheduled meal until 10:00 PM the evening before delivery. Your payment is credited toward your next order or refunded to M-Pesa. There is no long-term contract, so you can plan as few as two meals in a week.

Most people hesitate to plan meals ahead for one reason: what if my week changes? In Nairobi, it usually does. A meeting moves, a trip comes up, the school calls. A meal plan that punishes you for that is not a plan, it is a trap.

So before you pay for any meal plan, from us or anyone else, get clear answers to the same four questions.

Four questions to ask any meal provider

What is the cut-off? Until when can I change or skip a meal?

Where does my money go? Is it credited, refunded or lost?

Is there a penalty or contract? Can I stop without a fee, or am I locked in?

What is the minimum? Must I order a full week, or can I start small?

If a provider cannot answer these in a sentence each, treat that as information.

How Qavaeat answers each one

Real-life scenarios

You are travelling outside Nairobi. Pause any upcoming delivery day with a single tap before 10:00 PM the previous evening. Credits roll over to your next scheduled week.

Your Wednesday just filled with meetings. Swap to a later pool, or swap the dish, before the cut-off.

You are bored of Tuesday’s dish. You are never tied to the same meal. You can pick a different partner kitchen and dish for every day on your schedule.

Other order types have different rules

• Instant orders: you can cancel within 5 minutes after the kitchen accepts.
• Event catering: changes are possible up to 24 hours before the event, and a 50% deposit confirms the booking. [CONFIRM the deposit refund terms before publishing any statement about them.]

Tips to stay in control

• Set a reminder at 9:30 PM on the evening before any day you are unsure about.
• Swap, don’t skip, if you can. A different dish is often better than no lunch.
• Plan three days first. If you are new to scheduling, start with a lighter week and add days.

What flexibility cannot do

After the 10:00 PM cut-off, the kitchen is preparing your meal. Changes after that point are not guaranteed. [CONFIRM what happens to requests made after the cut-off and add one clear sentence.]

Is a flexible plan right for you?

Good fit: unpredictable schedules, frequent travel, shared households, or anyone who hates being locked in.

Not ideal if: you want to change meals on the day itself. For that, use an instant order.

Frequently asked questions

Can I pause my meal plan? Yes. You can pause any upcoming delivery day until 10:00 PM the evening before, and your credit rolls over to your next scheduled week.

What happens to my money if I cancel a meal? Your payment is credited toward your next order or refunded to your M-Pesa.

Is there a long-term contract? No. You can schedule as few as two meals in a week or plan all seven days across several weeks.

Do I have to eat the same meal every day? No. You can choose a different partner kitchen and dish for every day on your schedule.

Can I cancel an instant order? Yes, within 5 minutes after the kitchen accepts it.

Related reading:
- How to schedule food delivery in advance
- What is a delivery pool?
- Plan my week

CTA: Start with a two-meal trial week.