How to cut food delivery app commission with your own online store
What delivery apps really take from each order, how much your restaurant can keep with direct orders, and how to move your regular customers step by step.
Food delivery apps take about 23% to 37% of every order once commission, GST on it and payment fees are added. When regular customers order from your own online store through a QR code or a link, there is no commission: you keep the money, you get the customer's details, and you decide the offers.
Picture a biryani cloud kitchen in Patia, Bhubaneswar, or a café in Cuttack. Half of its online orders come through delivery apps. Those apps bring new customers, which is useful. But on every ₹400 order, around ₹126 goes to the app, and the customer's phone number stays with the app too. The next time that same customer orders, you pay again.
This guide shows what the apps really cost, how much you can keep, and how to move your regular customers to direct orders without leaving the apps.
What is direct ordering?
Direct ordering means the customer orders from your restaurant itself, not through a delivery app. They scan a QR code on the table or the parcel bag, or tap a link you shared, and your own menu opens in their phone's browser. No app to download.
With the AppZet Billing online store, that menu is your menu, with your prices. The order goes straight to your kitchen as a KOT, and the money goes to you. No commission on any order.
What food delivery apps charge
| Charge | Typical rate |
|---|---|
| Commission on the order value | 18% to 30% |
| GST on the commission | 18% of the commission |
| Payment gateway fee | about 2% |
| Ads and promoted listing (optional, but most restaurants pay) | ₹5,000 to ₹50,000+ a month |
| Discounts the restaurant funds | varies |
| Real cost on every order, before ads | about 23% to 37% |
One ₹400 order, side by side
| Cost | Delivery app 18% | Delivery app 25% | Delivery app 30% | AppZet Billing online store |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commission | ₹72 | ₹100 | ₹120 | ₹0 |
| GST on commission | ₹13 | ₹18 | ₹22 | ₹0 |
| Payment gateway 2% | ₹8 | ₹8 | ₹8 | ₹8 |
| Your own delivery | — | — | — | ₹30 |
| You pay | ₹93 | ₹126 | ₹150 | ₹38 |
| You keep | ₹307 | ₹274 | ₹250 | ₹362 |
The online store charges no commission. Pickup orders cost even less, because there is no delivery.
Why depending on delivery apps hurts
- 1High commission on every orderCommission is often 18% to 30% of the order, plus 18% GST on that commission. On a ₹400 order that can be ₹93 to ₹150. Your food, staff and rent costs stay the same, so a good order can become a break-even one.
- 2You never get the customerThe app keeps the customer's phone number. You cannot send them a new dish or an offer, so every time they want your food, they go back to the app and you pay again.
- 3Less control over offers and pricesApps run discounts that the restaurant often pays for, and push you into price wars to stay visible.
- 4Repeat orders cost the sameA regular who orders every week through the app pays the app every week. A direct repeat order costs you no commission at all.
Direct orders vs delivery-app orders
| What | Delivery app order | AppZet Billing online store order |
|---|---|---|
| Commission | Usually 18% to 30% + GST on it | None |
| Customer details | Stay with the app | Customers can sign up on your store; you see their orders |
| Offers and coupons | Often set by the app | You create your own coupons in AppZet |
| Money | Paid out by the app after its cut | To your payment gateway or as cash |
| Brand | One logo among many | Your name, your menu, your link |
| Delivery | App delivery partner | Your staff or customer pickup; you set the delivery charge |
| New customers | Good: people find you in the app | Mostly your regulars and people who see your QR |
Work out your own saving
Change the numbers to match your restaurant. The result updates as you type.One month for a typical restaurant
30 delivery orders a day at ₹400 each comes to 900 orders and ₹3.6 lakh in sales a month.
| Cost | Commission 18% | Commission 25% | Commission 30% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid to delivery apps | ₹83,664 | ₹1,13,400 | ₹1,34,640 |
| Same orders through your online store | ₹34,200 | ₹34,200 | ₹34,200 |
| Saving if every order moves | ₹49,464 | ₹79,200 | ₹1,00,440 |
| Saving if 30% of orders move | ₹14,839 | ₹23,760 | ₹30,132 |
Moving only a third of your orders saves about ₹1.8 lakh to ₹3.6 lakh a year.
How direct ordering works with AppZet Billing
- 01Customer scans your QR or taps your linkWhat happens: They scan the QR on the table, bill or parcel bag, or tap the link you shared on WhatsApp or Instagram. Your menu opens in their browser.For you: No app to download, so more people actually order.
- 02Customer picks dishes and checks outWhat happens: They choose dishes, sizes and add-ons, apply your coupon and pick dine-in, pickup or delivery. They can order as a guest or sign up.For you: The bill shows your prices, your delivery charge and GST.
- 03The kitchen gets it instantlyWhat happens: The order is saved in AppZet and a KOT goes to each kitchen that makes those dishes.For you: No retyping orders and no missed tickets.
- 04Payment comes to youWhat happens: The customer pays online through your payment gateway, or in cash on pickup or delivery.For you: Only the gateway fee (about 2%) on online payments. No commission.
- 05The customer is yoursWhat happens: Customers who sign up on your store keep an account with their order history and addresses.For you: Next time they order direct again, and you can reach them with your own offers.
How WhatsApp brings customers back
Most of your customers check WhatsApp many times a day. Use the free WhatsApp Business app on your phone, with your store link and an AppZet coupon code:
- Share your store link with regulars. Send it once to customers who order often, and pin it in your WhatsApp Business profile.
- Send a direct-order coupon. Create a code like DIRECT30 in AppZet and share it: "₹30 off when you order from our own link".
- Announce new dishes. Post a photo and your store link to your broadcast list instead of paying for ads in the app.
- Birthday and festival offers. A free dessert on a birthday or a Rath Yatra special brings people back.
- Ask for feedback. After an order, ask for a Google review. It helps new customers find you outside the apps.
Only message customers who agreed to hear from you, and always offer a way to stop.
Which restaurants gain the most
How AppZet Billing helps you keep the commission
- Your own online store, no commission. Your menu, prices and photos on your own link. Included in Premium at ₹9,999 + GST a year.
- Table QR codes. Each table gets its own QR, so dine-in guests can order from their phone.
- KOT to every kitchen, plus a kitchen display. Online orders reach the right kitchen just like counter orders.
- Coupons. Create codes with a percentage or flat discount, and start and end dates, for direct orders.
- Customer accounts. Customers can sign up, save addresses and see their past orders on your store.
- GST on every bill. Online orders get an invoice number and GST like any other sale.
- Your delivery charge and online table booking. Set your own delivery charge, and let customers reserve a table from the store.
Frequently asked questions
What commission do food delivery apps charge restaurants?
Usually 18% to 30% of the order, depending on the restaurant, the city and the services you take, plus 18% GST on the commission and a payment fee. Check your own payout statement for your exact rate.
Should I stop using the delivery apps completely?
Usually not. They help new customers find you. Keep them for discovery, and move customers who already know you to your own online store over time.
Is direct ordering hard to set up for a small restaurant?
No. Upload your menu to AppZet Billing, turn on the online store, print your table QR codes and share your link. Our Bhubaneswar team can set it up with you on a free call.
How do I deliver direct orders without my own riders?
Offer pickup, use a local delivery person, or book a per-order delivery service. You set your own delivery charge in AppZet.
Does AppZet take a commission on online store orders?
No. You pay only your AppZet plan and, if the customer pays online, your payment gateway fee.
Are direct orders GST-compliant?
Yes. Online store orders get an invoice number and GST like any other sale in AppZet, and appear in your sales and tax reports.
Where do online store orders show up?
In the same AppZet Billing panel and kitchen screens as your counter and table orders.
Rates shown are typical figures for India. Your contract with a delivery app may be different, so check your own payout statement.