Subsidizing pension insurance for millions of delivery riders? What sounds like an important yet costly plan is becoming a reality. Starting in November, MEITUAN-W will provide pension insurance subsidies to riders nationwide. As long as a rider has earned income meeting the local social insurance contribution base for three months within the past six months on the platform, they can voluntarily purchase pension insurance, with the platform covering half the cost.

This is not a solo act by MEITUAN-W. Earlier this year, JD.com began contributing to social insurance for full-time riders, while Ele.me has been piloting similar programs in multiple regions. However, MEITUAN-W's nationwide rollout marks a symbolic step forward.

Implementing social insurance for riders is far more complex than imagined. On MEITUAN-W's platform alone, there are over 7 million riders with order records. Among them, only about 10% are full-time riders working year-round, while nearly half work fewer than 30 days a year. Moreover, over 80% of riders are migrant workers, often moving to new locations after a few months. This raises a series of questions: Which platform should handle their social insurance contributions? Should they pay in their hometown or workplace? If they leave the city, how can they transfer their benefits back home?

Beyond systemic hurdles, riders’ practical choices pose an even greater challenge. Many riders see little value in social insurance decades down the line and prefer higher immediate earnings. For companies, even subsidies represent a significant annual expense, amounting to billions.

So why are platforms pushing ahead? On one hand, it’s a result of market competition. This year’s "food delivery war" has made workforce retention more critical than subsidies, turning social insurance into a "stabilizer" for securing riders and logistics capacity. On the other hand, it stems from national policy guidance and regulatory momentum. Authorities like the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the State Administration for Market Regulation have been advancing labor rights protection for gig workers, with local governments rolling out supporting policies to provide a clear institutional framework for platforms.

Increasing insurance coverage for flexible workers, migrant laborers, and gig economy participants remains a key task during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Driven by both market and regulatory forces, platforms have adopted pragmatic approaches. For instance, MEITUAN-W's model—"riders contribute voluntarily, platforms subsidize half"—balances rider autonomy with lower enrollment barriers, as seen in pilot programs.

Infusing platform economies with greater social welfare isn’t a question of "whether to do it" but "how to do it well." As economic progress surges forward, lifting those who quietly propel its wheels isn’t just about fairness—it’s vital for sustainable development. The nationwide implementation of rider social insurance is just the beginning, and more platforms are expected to join this journey of warmth.