Your own online ordering system: save delivery platform commission and keep regulars
Delivery platforms bring new guests but take a commission on every order. For restaurants with many regulars, your own ordering system on the website often pays off: regulars order direct, and the platform stays for new customers. This article shows how to compare costs, what a good ordering system must do and which rules apply, with Germany as the example.
The calculation: commission versus your own costs
Lieferando, the leading platform in Germany, doesn't publish its terms; according to restaurateurs, commission is in the low double digits when you deliver yourself and considerably higher with platform delivery. Calculate with your real figures: orders per month times average order value times commission rate gives what the platform costs.
Against that, your own system costs a monthly fee or setup, payment fees of a few percent and promotion so guests use it. Even if only part of your regulars order direct, the difference is usually clear.
What a good ordering system must do
Check providers or a custom build against these points:
- A menu with variants, extras and required choices that the team maintains itself.
- Pickup and delivery with delivery area, minimum order and time slots.
- Online payment and cash on pickup.
- Orders straight into the POS or onto a receipt printer, without retyping.
- Confirmation to the guest with a realistic time and notification of delays.
- Customer accounts and one-click reorder for regulars.
Rules for online orders
Allergens: for food ordered online, EU food information rules require allergen information to be available before the order is completed and again at delivery. "Allergens on request" isn't enough for distance sales.
Withdrawal: in Germany there is no right of withdrawal for food that spoils quickly (Section 312g(2) BGB). Your ordering flow still needs a clear order button, correct prices including VAT and delivery fees, and a legal notice and privacy policy.
Move regulars to your own channel
Your own system only helps if guests know about it: a note in every bag, a QR code on the menu in the restaurant, a benefit for direct orders such as a small discount or a drink, and a visible order button in your Google Business Profile. Setting up an ordering system with POS integration starts at €600 with us; a complete restaurant website with ordering from €1,800.
Frequently asked questions
- Should I cancel the delivery platform?
- Usually not straight away. Platforms bring new guests. The goal is to move regulars to your own channel and use the platform for new customers.
- Do I need my own drivers?
- For delivery through your own system, yes, or a local courier. Many restaurants start with pickup and expand later.
- How do orders get into my POS?
- Many POS systems have interfaces for online orders. We check your POS and connect the ordering system so nothing has to be retyped.
Sources
Tell us your monthly orders, platforms and POS. We calculate what your own system saves and give you the cost.
Calculate my ordering system